The dispersal of domestic cats from North Africa to Europe around 2000 years ago
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: . Its global distribution alongside humans testifies to its successful adaptation to anthropogenic environments. Uncertainty remains regarding whether domestic cats originated in the Levant, Egypt, or elsewhere in the natural range of African wildcats. The timing and circumstances of their dispersal into Europe are also unknown. In this study, the analysis of 87 ancient and modern cat genomes suggests that domestic cats did not spread to Europe with Neolithic farmers. Conversely, they were introduced to Europe around 2000 years ago, probably from North Africa. In addition, a separate earlier introduction (first millennium before the common era) of wildcats from Northwest Africa may have been responsible for the present-day wild population in Sardinia.
Source: Science
Authors: M. De Martino, B. De Cupere, V. Rovelli, P. Serventi, B. Mouraud, M. Baldoni, T. Di Corcia, S. Geiger, F. Alhaique, P. C. Alves, H. Buitenhuis, E. Ceccaroni, E. Cerilli, J. De Grossi Mazzorin, C. Detry, M. Dowd, I. Fiore, L. Gourichon, I. Grau-Sologestoa, H. C. Küchelmann, G. K. Kunst, M. McCarthy, R. Miccichè, C. Minniti, M. Moreno, N. Mrđić, V. Onar, T. Oueslati, M. Parrag, B. Pino Uria, G. Romagnoli, M. Rugge, L. Salari, K. Saliari, A. B. Santos, U. Schmölcke, A. Sforzi, G. Soranna, N. Spassov, A. Tagliacozzo, V. Tinè, S. Trixl, S. Vuković, U. Wierer, B. Wilkens, S. Doherty, N. Sykes, L. Frantz, F. Mattucci, R. Caniglia, G. Larson, J. Peters, W. Van Neer, C. Ottoni
Institutions: University of Rome Tor Vergata, Institute of Natural Sciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Universidade do Porto, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, University of Groningen, University of Salento, University of Lisbon, Centro de Arqueologia, Atlantic Technological University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Côte d'Azur, Cultures et Environnements. Préhistoire, Antiquité, Moyen Âge, University of Basel, University of Vienna, University of Palermo, Sapienza University of Rome, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Instituto de Historia, Arheološki Institut, Muğla University, Université de Lille, Histoire, Archéologie et Littérature des Mondes Anciens, Università degli Studi della Tuscia, Natural History Museum Vienna, LEIZA - Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie, Museo di Storia Naturale della Maremma, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, University of Belgrade, University of Exeter, Queen Mary University of London, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale, University of Oxford, Bavarian Natural History Collections, KU Leuven
Language: English
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: Wellcome Trust
OpenAlex ID: W4416748405