The paleogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world

Claudio Ottoni; Wim Van  Neer; Bea De  Cupere; Julien Daligault; Silvia Guimaraes; Joris Peters; Nikolai Spassov; Mary E. Prendergast; Nicole Boivin; Arturo Morales-Muniz; Adrian Balasescu; Cornelia Becker; Norbert Benecke; Adina Boroneant; Hijlke Buitenhuis; Jwana Chahoud; Alison Crowther; Laura Llorente; Nina Manaseryan; Herve Monchot; Vedat Onar; Marta Osypinska; Olivier Putelat; Erendira M. Quintana Morales; Jacqueline Studer; Ursula Wierer; Ronny Decorte; Thierry Grange; Eva-Maria Geigl

doi:10.1038/s41559-017-0139

The paleogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world

Claudio Ottoni, Wim Van Neer, Bea De Cupere, Julien Daligault, Silvia Guimaraes, Joris Peters, Nikolai Spassov, Mary E. Prendergast, Nicole Boivin, Arturo Morales-Muniz, Adrian Balasescu, Cornelia Becker, Norbert Benecke, Adina Boroneant, Hijlke Buitenhuis, Jwana Chahoud, Alison Crowther, Laura Llorente, Nina Manaseryan, Herve MonchotVedat Onar, Marta Osypinska, Olivier Putelat, Erendira M. Quintana Morales, Jacqueline Studer, Ursula Wierer, Ronny Decorte, Thierry Grange, Eva-Maria Geigl

Archaeology of Northwestern Europe

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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Abstract

The cat has long been important to human societies as a pest-control agent, object of symbolic value and companion animal, but little is known about its domestication process and early anthropogenic dispersal. Here we show, using ancient DNA analysis of geographically and temporally widespread archaeological cat remains, that both the Near Eastern and Egyptian populations of Felis silvestris lybica contributed to the gene pool of the domestic cat at different historical times. While the cat's worldwide conquest began during the Neolithic period in the Near East, its dispersal gained momentum during the Classical period, when the Egyptian cat successfully spread throughout the Old World. The expansion patterns and ranges suggest dispersal along human maritime and terrestrial routes of trade and connectivity. A coat-colour variant was found at high frequency only after the Middle Ages, suggesting that directed breeding of cats occurred later than with most other domesticated animals.

Original language	English
Article number	0139
Number of pages	7
Journal	Nature Ecology & Evolution
Volume	1
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0139
Publication status	Published - Jul-2017

Keywords

DOMESTICATION
CONSTRUCTION
EUROPE
EAST
DNA

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10.1038/s41559-017-0139

The paleogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient worldFinal publisher's version, 586 KBLicence: Taverne

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Ottoni, C., Van Neer, W., De Cupere, B., Daligault, J., Guimaraes, S., Peters, J., Spassov, N., Prendergast, M. E., Boivin, N., Morales-Muniz, A., Balasescu, A., Becker, C., Benecke, N., Boroneant, A., Buitenhuis, H., Chahoud, J., Crowther, A., Llorente, L., Manaseryan, N., ... Geigl, E-M. (2017). The paleogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 1(7), [0139]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0139

Ottoni, Claudio ; Van Neer, Wim ; De Cupere, Bea ; Daligault, Julien ; Guimaraes, Silvia ; Peters, Joris ; Spassov, Nikolai ; Prendergast, Mary E. ; Boivin, Nicole ; Morales-Muniz, Arturo ; Balasescu, Adrian ; Becker, Cornelia ; Benecke, Norbert ; Boroneant, Adina ; Buitenhuis, Hijlke ; Chahoud, Jwana ; Crowther, Alison ; Llorente, Laura ; Manaseryan, Nina ; Monchot, Herve ; Onar, Vedat ; Osypinska, Marta ; Putelat, Olivier ; Morales, Erendira M. Quintana ; Studer, Jacqueline ; Wierer, Ursula ; Decorte, Ronny ; Grange, Thierry ; Geigl, Eva-Maria. / The paleogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world. In: Nature Ecology & Evolution. 2017 ; Vol. 1, No. 7.

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abstract = "The cat has long been important to human societies as a pest-control agent, object of symbolic value and companion animal, but little is known about its domestication process and early anthropogenic dispersal. Here we show, using ancient DNA analysis of geographically and temporally widespread archaeological cat remains, that both the Near Eastern and Egyptian populations of Felis silvestris lybica contributed to the gene pool of the domestic cat at different historical times. While the cat's worldwide conquest began during the Neolithic period in the Near East, its dispersal gained momentum during the Classical period, when the Egyptian cat successfully spread throughout the Old World. The expansion patterns and ranges suggest dispersal along human maritime and terrestrial routes of trade and connectivity. A coat-colour variant was found at high frequency only after the Middle Ages, suggesting that directed breeding of cats occurred later than with most other domesticated animals.",

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author = "Claudio Ottoni and {Van Neer}, Wim and {De Cupere}, Bea and Julien Daligault and Silvia Guimaraes and Joris Peters and Nikolai Spassov and Prendergast, {Mary E.} and Nicole Boivin and Arturo Morales-Muniz and Adrian Balasescu and Cornelia Becker and Norbert Benecke and Adina Boroneant and Hijlke Buitenhuis and Jwana Chahoud and Alison Crowther and Laura Llorente and Nina Manaseryan and Herve Monchot and Vedat Onar and Marta Osypinska and Olivier Putelat and Morales, {Erendira M. Quintana} and Jacqueline Studer and Ursula Wierer and Ronny Decorte and Thierry Grange and Eva-Maria Geigl",

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Ottoni, C, Van Neer, W, De Cupere, B, Daligault, J, Guimaraes, S, Peters, J, Spassov, N, Prendergast, ME, Boivin, N, Morales-Muniz, A, Balasescu, A, Becker, C, Benecke, N, Boroneant, A, Buitenhuis, H, Chahoud, J, Crowther, A, Llorente, L, Manaseryan, N, Monchot, H, Onar, V, Osypinska, M, Putelat, O, Morales, EMQ, Studer, J, Wierer, U, Decorte, R, Grange, T & Geigl, E-M 2017, 'The paleogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world', Nature Ecology & Evolution, vol. 1, no. 7, 0139. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0139

The paleogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world. / Ottoni, Claudio; Van Neer, Wim; De Cupere, Bea; Daligault, Julien; Guimaraes, Silvia; Peters, Joris; Spassov, Nikolai; Prendergast, Mary E.; Boivin, Nicole; Morales-Muniz, Arturo; Balasescu, Adrian; Becker, Cornelia; Benecke, Norbert; Boroneant, Adina; Buitenhuis, Hijlke; Chahoud, Jwana; Crowther, Alison; Llorente, Laura; Manaseryan, Nina; Monchot, Herve; Onar, Vedat; Osypinska, Marta; Putelat, Olivier; Morales, Erendira M. Quintana; Studer, Jacqueline; Wierer, Ursula; Decorte, Ronny; Grange, Thierry; Geigl, Eva-Maria.

In: Nature Ecology & Evolution, Vol. 1, No. 7, 0139, 07.2017.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

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AU - Van Neer, Wim

AU - De Cupere, Bea

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AU - Peters, Joris

AU - Spassov, Nikolai

AU - Prendergast, Mary E.

AU - Boivin, Nicole

AU - Morales-Muniz, Arturo

AU - Balasescu, Adrian

AU - Becker, Cornelia

AU - Benecke, Norbert

AU - Boroneant, Adina

AU - Buitenhuis, Hijlke

AU - Chahoud, Jwana

AU - Crowther, Alison

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AU - Manaseryan, Nina

AU - Monchot, Herve

AU - Onar, Vedat

AU - Osypinska, Marta

AU - Putelat, Olivier

AU - Morales, Erendira M. Quintana

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N2 - The cat has long been important to human societies as a pest-control agent, object of symbolic value and companion animal, but little is known about its domestication process and early anthropogenic dispersal. Here we show, using ancient DNA analysis of geographically and temporally widespread archaeological cat remains, that both the Near Eastern and Egyptian populations of Felis silvestris lybica contributed to the gene pool of the domestic cat at different historical times. While the cat's worldwide conquest began during the Neolithic period in the Near East, its dispersal gained momentum during the Classical period, when the Egyptian cat successfully spread throughout the Old World. The expansion patterns and ranges suggest dispersal along human maritime and terrestrial routes of trade and connectivity. A coat-colour variant was found at high frequency only after the Middle Ages, suggesting that directed breeding of cats occurred later than with most other domesticated animals.

AB - The cat has long been important to human societies as a pest-control agent, object of symbolic value and companion animal, but little is known about its domestication process and early anthropogenic dispersal. Here we show, using ancient DNA analysis of geographically and temporally widespread archaeological cat remains, that both the Near Eastern and Egyptian populations of Felis silvestris lybica contributed to the gene pool of the domestic cat at different historical times. While the cat's worldwide conquest began during the Neolithic period in the Near East, its dispersal gained momentum during the Classical period, when the Egyptian cat successfully spread throughout the Old World. The expansion patterns and ranges suggest dispersal along human maritime and terrestrial routes of trade and connectivity. A coat-colour variant was found at high frequency only after the Middle Ages, suggesting that directed breeding of cats occurred later than with most other domesticated animals.

KW - DOMESTICATION

KW - CONSTRUCTION

KW - EUROPE

KW - EAST

KW - DNA

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