The domestic cat (Felis catus) is one of the most recently evolved species within the Felidae family.
The Felidae family have been split into three genera: Panthera (cats that roar - lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, clouded leopards and jaguars), Acinonyx (the Cheetah), and Felis (all other 'small' cats).
The classification of the Felidae family is difficult, in part because of the difficulty in distinguishing species by their phenotype and morphology - they all look remarkably similar and, for example, it is extremely difficult for even trained experts to differentiate the skull of a lion from that of a tiger.
All cats have evolved as predatory hunting mammals with particularly keen senses of hearing, sight and smell.
Anatomical characteristics such as the rounded head and skeletal structure suggest that all the 37 recognized species within the Felidae family evolved from a common ancestor, probably living in Asia around 10-12 million years ago.
There has been a rapid expansion and diversity of the Felidae family during the past 10-11 million years and by 3 million years ago there was a wide variety of cats populating all regions of the Earth except the Arctic, Antarctica and Australia.
The domestic cat originated from Near-Eastern and Egyptian populations of the African wildcat, Felis Sylvestris lybica. A number of investigations have shown that all domestic varieties of cats come from a single species of the Felis lineage, Felis Catus.
Recent DNA studies, advancement in genetic technologies, and a better understanding of DNA and genetics as a whole has helped make discoveries in the evolutionary history of the domestic cat. Archaeological evidence has documented earlier dates of domestication than formerly believed.
The earlier ancestors of today’s domestic cats spread from southwest Asia and into Europe as early as 4400 B.C.
The cats likely started hanging around farming communities in the Fertile Crescent about 8000 years ago, where they settled into a mutually beneficial relationship as humans rodent patrol.
In conclusion, domestic cats have evolved from their wild ancestors over thousands of years to become one of our most beloved pets. Their history is fascinating and continues to be studied by scientists to this day. I hope this blog post has given you some insight into the history and evolution of domestic cats!