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According to a recent study, domestic cats from the Near East and wildcats from Europe did not interbreed until the 1960s, despite coexisting for 2,000 years.
New evidence from archaeology and genetics has led researchers to reevaluate the history of cats in Europe.
Based on the results, it is evident that domestic cats and European wildcats have largely refrained from breeding since their initial introduction.
The interbreeding of wildcats and domestic cats has occurred only recently. It is evident that this crossbreeding is a consequence of present-day dangers that are affecting numerous species in our natural ecosystem.
However, approximately 50 years ago in Scotland, everything changed.
Researchers suggest that during this period, the occurrence of interbreeding between feral and domestic cats increased significantly. This could be due to a decline in the number of wildcats and limited chances for them to mate with other wildcats.
According to Jo Howard-McCombe, a researcher at the University of Bristol and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, wildcats and domestic cats have only recently started interbreeding.
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Hybridization is a consequence of contemporary dangers that affect numerous species native to our environment.
It is intriguing that genetic information can be utilized to examine the historical population of Scottish wildcats and apply knowledge gained to safeguard their species.
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Human activity and intentional harm have driven wildcats to the verge of disappearing in Britain.
It is intriguing that genetic information can be utilized to examine their historical population and apply our knowledge to safeguard Scottish wildcats.
Scientists studied the genetic information of wild and domesticated cats, which included 48 present-day cats and 258 ancient samples unearthed from 85 archaeological locations.
After the introduction of domestic cats to Europe over 2,000 years ago, researchers examined the instances of hybridization when the cats interacted with native European wildcats.
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Based on our data, it appears that dogs and cats have a greater likeness to each other when it comes to preventing mixing with their wild counterparts, compared to all other domestic animals.
Dr. Greger Larson, from the University of Oxford, leads the research network for Palaeogenomics and Bio-Archaeology.
According to Professor Greger Larson from the University of Oxford, cats and dogs are often perceived as vastly dissimilar.
Based on our findings, it seems that dogs and cats have a greater resemblance in avoiding breeding with wild animals compared to other domesticated animals. Investigating the reasons behind this could be an interesting pursuit.
Domestic animals including cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, and pigs have been closely associated with people since the emergence of farming communities more than 10,000 years ago, leading to the dispersal of plants and animals well beyond their native ranges.
According to specialists, research conducted in the past two decades has shown that when domesticated animals migrated to different areas, they mated with similar wild species, resulting in significant changes to their genetic makeup.
The results were published in the Current Biology journal.
Source: independent.co.uk
