The dispersal of domestic cats from Northern Africa and their introduction to Europe over the last two millennia

  1. M. De Martino
  2. B. De Cupere
  3. V. Rovelli
  4. P. Serventi
  5. M. Baldoni
  6. T. Di Corcia
  7. S. Geiger
  8. F. Alhaique
  9. P. C. Alves
  10. H. Buitenhuis
  11. E. Ceccaroni
  12. E. Cerilli
  13. J. De Grossi Mazzorin
  14. C. Detry
  15. M. Dowd
  16. I. Fiore
  17. L. Gourichon
  18. I. Grau-Sologestoa
  19. H. C. Küchelmann
  20. G. K. Kunst
  21. M. McCarthy
  22. R. Miccichè
  23. C. Minniti
  24. M. Moreno
  25. V. Onar
  26. T. Oueslati
  27. M. Parrag
  28. B. Pino Uria
  29. G. Romagnoli
  30. M. Rugge
  31. L. Salari
  32. K. Saliari
  33. A. B. Santos
  34. U. Schmölcke
  35. A. Sforzi
  36. G. Soranna
  37. N. Spassov
  38. A. Tagliacozzo
  39. V. Tinè
  40. S. Trixl
  41. S. Vuković
  42. U. Wierer
  43. B. Wilkens
  44. S. Doherty
  45. N. Sykes
  46. L. Frantz
  47. F. Mattucci
  48. R. Caniglia
  49. G. Larson
  50. J. Peters
  51. W. Van Neer
  52. C. Ottoni
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Abstract

The domestic cat (Felis catus) descends from the African wildcat subspeciesFelis lybica lybica. 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 its natural range, and on the timing and circumstances of their dispersal into Europe. By analysing 87 ancient and modern cat genomes, we demonstrate that domestic cats did not spread to Europe with Neolithic farmers, as previously thought. Conversely, our results suggest that they were introduced to Europe over the last 2,000 years, most likely from North Africa. We also demonstrate that a separate earlier (1st millennium BCE) introduction of wildcats from Northwest Africa originated the present-day wild population in Sardinia.

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