Tuesday, February 19, 2008

The Cat's Family Tree


Many cat-enthusiasts trace the history of felis catus back to ancient Egypt. A new genetic study performed by UC Davis expands on this premise. The study claims the Fertile Crescent, also known as the Cradle of Civilization for humans, holds the ancestral past of today's domestic cat. This region includes modern day Egypt, Israel, West Bank, Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and parts of Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, and Iran. Based on their findings, researchers encourage today's breeders to maintain a broad genetic base to avoid genetic disorders. Update: Here's a Q&A with a researcher from the study.

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