Research article, Biological Sciences - Anthropology, Genetics Of cats and men: the paleogenetic history of the dispersal of cats in the ancient world

Ottoni, Claudio; Van, W Neer; De, B Cupere; Daligault, Julien; Guimarães, Sílvia; Peters, Joris; Spassov, Nikolaï; Prendergast, ME; Boivin, Nicole; Morales, Arturo; Bălășescu, Adrian; Becker, Cornelia; Benecke, Norbert; Boronenanţ, A; Buitenhuis, Hijlke; Chahoud, Jwana; Crowther, Alison; Llorente, Laura; Manaseryan, Ninna; Monchot, Hervé; Onar, Vedat; Osypińska, Marta; Putelat, Olivier; Studer, Jacqueline; Wierer, Ursula; Decorte, Ronny; Grange, Thierry; Geigl, Eva-María

doi:10.1101/080028

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…In contrast to dogs, little evidence exists for omnivory among felids in general or the wild relatives of domestic cats. By 7500 BCE cats show some evidence of domestication (Ottoni et al, 2016), and by 5300 BCE some populations of cats became partially dependent on food sources associated with human settlements (Hu et al, 2014). However, while dogs were able to eat a variety of foods, including some plant matter, early domestic cats appear to have been primarily preying on other species that were eating grain, rather than grain or other plant matter itself.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High variability within pet foods prevents the identification of native species in pet cats’ diets using isotopic evaluation

McDonald

Perkins

Dunn

et al. 2020

PeerJ

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Domestic cats preying on wildlife is a frequent conservation concern but typical approaches for assessing impacts rely on owner reports of prey returned home, which can be biased by inaccurate reporting or by cats consuming prey instead of bringing it home. Isotopes offer an alternative way to quantify broad differences in animal diets. By obtaining samples of pet food from cat owners we predicted that we would have high power to identify cats feeding on wild birds or mammals, given that pet food is thought to have higher C isotope values, due to the pervasive use of corn and/or corn by-products as food ingredients, than native prey. We worked with citizen scientists to quantify the isotopes of 202 cat hair samples and 239 pet food samples from the US and UK. We also characterized the isotopes of 11 likely native prey species from the southeastern US and used mixing models to assess the diet of 47 cats from the same region. Variation in C and N isotope values for cat food was very high, even within the same brand/flavor, suggesting that pet food manufacturers use a wide range of ingredients, and that these may change over time. Cat food and cat hair from the UK had lower C values than the US, presumably reflecting differences in the amount of corn used in the food chains of the two countries. This high variation in pet food reduced our ability to classify cats as hunters of native prey, such that only 43% of the animals could be confidently assigned. If feral or free ranging cats were considered, this uncertainty would be even higher as pet food types would be unknown. Our results question the general assumption that anthropogenic foods always have high C isotope values, because of the high variability we documented within one product type (cat food) and between countries (US vs. UK), and emphasize the need to test a variety of standards before making conclusions from isotope ecology studies. How to cite this article McDonald BW, Perkins T, Dunn RR, McDonald J, Cole H, Feranec RS, Kays R. 2020. High variability within pet foods prevents the identification of native species in pet cats' diets using isotopic evaluation. PeerJ 8:e8337 http://doi.Lindblad-Toh K. 2013. The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet. Nature 495(7441):360-364 . Caut S, Angulo E, Courchamp F. 2009. Variation in discrimination factors (δ15N and δ13C): the effect of diet isotopic values and applications for diet reconstruction.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High variability within pet foods prevents the identification of native species in pet cats’ diets using isotopic evaluation

McDonald

Perkins

Dunn

et al. 2020

PeerJ

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“…El ejercicio también limitaría la descripción de las relaciones de los humanos con los felinos a solo un aspecto de ella, tal vez el menos importante para el objetivo de este ensayo. Desde su domesticación, en el Oriente Medio, miles de años atrás, los gatos además de ser animales domésticos de compañía, útiles en el combate contra los roedores y sus depredaciones, también han sido y son para los humanos animales simbólicos y de gran significado emocional [6][7][8] . Esto porque ellos siempre han sido sujetos de admiración por su original gracia y elegancia y, además, porque permanentemente han sido protagonistas de nuestra imaginación en la literatura, en la cinematografía, en el teatro, en la música e igualmente en las religiones y en las creencias populares de diversas sociedades [6][7][8] .…”

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“…Desde su domesticación, en el Oriente Medio, miles de años atrás, los gatos además de ser animales domésticos de compañía, útiles en el combate contra los roedores y sus depredaciones, también han sido y son para los humanos animales simbólicos y de gran significado emocional [6][7][8] . Esto porque ellos siempre han sido sujetos de admiración por su original gracia y elegancia y, además, porque permanentemente han sido protagonistas de nuestra imaginación en la literatura, en la cinematografía, en el teatro, en la música e igualmente en las religiones y en las creencias populares de diversas sociedades [6][7][8] . La evolución y la domesticación de estos animales han estado íntimamente ligadas a la evolución biológica y cultural de los humanos y a su historia [6][7][8] .…”

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“…Esto porque ellos siempre han sido sujetos de admiración por su original gracia y elegancia y, además, porque permanentemente han sido protagonistas de nuestra imaginación en la literatura, en la cinematografía, en el teatro, en la música e igualmente en las religiones y en las creencias populares de diversas sociedades [6][7][8] . La evolución y la domesticación de estos animales han estado íntimamente ligadas a la evolución biológica y cultural de los humanos y a su historia [6][7][8] . Por esto es, que en los últimos años, con las nuevas técnicas de filogenia y genómica arqueológica ha habido un renovado interés en develar estas interacciones recíprocas y en identificar orígenes geográficos y culturales comunes en el desierto africano y el Oriente Medio y su migración coetánea hacia el resto del mundo desde estos lugares 6,7 .…”

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“…La evolución y la domesticación de estos animales han estado íntimamente ligadas a la evolución biológica y cultural de los humanos y a su historia [6][7][8] . Por esto es, que en los últimos años, con las nuevas técnicas de filogenia y genómica arqueológica ha habido un renovado interés en develar estas interacciones recíprocas y en identificar orígenes geográficos y culturales comunes en el desierto africano y el Oriente Medio y su migración coetánea hacia el resto del mundo desde estos lugares 6,7 . Aparentemente, los ancestros de los gatos actuales son el resultado de la domesticación de la especie silvestre del desierto africano Felix silvestris lybica, que a través de los siglos se hibridizó genéticamente y en numerosas oportunidades, con otras especies de felinos silvestres del Viejo Continente [6][7][8] .…”

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Mascotas felinas, medicina y arte

C.¹

2019

Rev. méd. Chile

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The author in this short text remembers the passing of a beloved pet cat. Cats are beautiful animals and wonderful companions. They evolved together with humans in Africa, subsequently spread over the five continents with them, and became the subject of many human cultural activities, including art, poetry and religion. Abandoned and roaming free, cats readily return to the wild, potentially acquiring many zoonotic infections. Surprisingly, feline company is increasingly used for therapy of mental and other illnesses such as cardiovascular disorders. Responsible ownership and good veterinary care of these marvelous animals under the One Health paradigm are essential to their well-being as well as to that of humans. They are an ethical and small price to pay for the affectively rewarding relationships humans have with these endearing and evocative animals.

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The Roman introduction and exportation of animals into Tunisia: Linking archaeozoology with textual and iconographic evidence

Azaza

Colominas

2020

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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The Mediterranean basin was the core of the Roman Empire. Large communication networks were constructed and maintained that enabled the trade and distribution of large number of products between distant territories. North Africa, and more specifically Tunisia, was an important trading area. However, little information is available about the animal trade. To characterize this activity and evaluate its economic importance, in this study we examine which species were introduced and exported during the Roman era in Tunisia using archaeozoological data and contextualizing them with written and iconographic sources. This combined approach shows that the Romans were responsible for introducing and exporting numerous animals. We have documented the introduction of commensal animals, such as black rat (Rattus rattus) and house mouse (Mus sp.), wild animals such as fallow deer (Dama dama) and hare (Lepus sp.), and domestic animals such as rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and cat (Felis catus). At the same time, North Africa supplied Rome with wild beasts such as lions, tigers, bears and camels. We suggest that the animal trade was an important economic activity for Tunisia not only for the export of wild animals but also for the import of animals that were mainly used for social purposes.

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Research article, Biological Sciences - Anthropology, Genetics Of cats and men: the paleogenetic history of the dispersal of cats in the ancient world

Cited by 4 publications

References 41 publications

High variability within pet foods prevents the identification of native species in pet cats’ diets using isotopic evaluation

High variability within pet foods prevents the identification of native species in pet cats’ diets using isotopic evaluation

Mascotas felinas, medicina y arte

The Roman introduction and exportation of animals into Tunisia: Linking archaeozoology with textual and iconographic evidence

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