![]() The real surprise? African wildcat DNA - which was collected from remote deserts in Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia - was virtually indistinguishable from the DNA of pet cats. lybica (aka the African wildcat) is the common ancestor of all domestic cats. The fifth lineage included not only the fifth known wildcat subspecies but also the hundreds of domestic cats that were sampled, including mixed-breed and purebred cats from the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan. Four lineages corresponded with four of the known wildcat populations that lived in specific regions. The results revealed five genetic clusters, or lineages, of wildcats. Their goal was to determine which subspecies of the wildcat Felis silvestris, a small cat compared to lions and tigers, was the most likely ancestor of house cats. In a study published in 2007, scientists examined DNA belonging to nearly a thousand wildcats and domestic cats from different regions of the world. Their studies have produced some interesting findings. Let us explain… DNA SEQUENCING LEADS TO REVISED FELINE FAMILY TREEĪdvances in genetics and related technologies have allowed scientists to analyze DNA and sequence the genomes (the complete set of genes) of several members of the cat family, including tigers, lions, snow leopards, jaguars, leopards, wildcats and domesticated cats. Your feline friend is related to the big cats, particularly the tiger, but he or she didn’t descend or evolve from one of them. If you were hoping that your tabby was really a tiny tiger, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s only natural to wonder if one descended from the other, which brings us to this month’s misconception: Pet cats descended from lions and tigers. If you’ve ever spent time watching any of the big cats - tigers, lions or leopards - while at the zoo or on Animal Planet, you can’t help but notice the similarities between them and your pet cat. Welcome to “Debarking Pet Myths,” our monthly series that addresses common myths, misconceptions and old wives’ tales about dogs and cats.
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