Origin story of domestic cats rewritten by genetic analysis

New genetic analyses indicate that domestic cats (Felis catus) originated in North Africa from the African wildcat (Felis lybica lybica) and then spread to Europe and East Asia within the last 2000 years, challenging earlier Levant-based theories. A separate leopard-cat presence in China shows coexistence with people thousands of years earlier, but domestication occurred much later, around 1300 years ago during the Tang Dynasty, likely introduced along the Silk Road. The Sardinia specimen dating to the second century AD marks the earliest identification of an African wildcat or domestic cat in Europe, while Chinese remains reveal a non-domesticated leopard-cat lineage preceding true domestic cats in the region. The studies, published in Science and Cell Genomics and led by Claudio Ottoni and Shu-Jin Luo, advance our understanding of how cats joined human societies.

By James Woodford for Science.

Overview

Two genetic studies redefine the timeline and geography of cat domestication. Domestic cats (Felis catus) are shown to descend from the African wildcat (Felis lybica lybica), with North Africa as the likely origin and a spread into Europe and East Asia within the last two thousand years. This challenges earlier hypotheses that placed origins in the Levant and suggested European arrival as early as 9600 BC. The work combines ancient genomes from Europe and the Near East, alongside modern wildcats from several regions, to trace ancestry and migration patterns. A complementary study focusing on China reveals that a distinct wildcat lineage, the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), lived with people for millennia but was never domesticated, while true domestic cats arrived in China about 1300 years ago during the Tang Dynasty, likely via Silk Road trade routes.

"The earliest cat identified as an African wildcat or a domestic cat was from Sardinia, radiocarbon-dated to the second century AD." - Claudio Ottoni, University of Rome Tor Vergata

European and North African Origins

Claudio Ottoni and colleagues studied 225 ancient cat specimens from nearly 100 sites in Europe and what is now Turkey, generating 70 ancient genomes that span roughly 10,000 years. Their results show a shift in Europe: earlier European cats were European wildcats (Felis silvestris), while the Sardinian specimen marks a clear African wildcat or domestic lineage entering the region by the second century AD. This places North Africa as the cradle of domestic cats, with subsequent admixture and dispersal shaping modern domestic cat populations across Europe. The researchers also included museum samples and present-day wildcats to build a comprehensive genetic map of cat lineages.

China: Leopard Cat and the Arrival of Domestic Cats

In a separate investigation led by Shu-Jin Luo at Peking University, researchers analyzed remains across 5000 years and sequenced genomes from 130 modern and ancient cats. They found that long before domestication, leopard cats cohabited with human settlements, drawn by rodent prey but never domesticated. True domestic cats, however, appeared in China around 1300 years ago in the Tang Dynasty, with genomes linking them to cats from the Middle East and Central Asia, suggesting introduction along Silk Road trade routes. Despite a prolonged commensal relationship, leopard cats ultimately did not undergo domestication and retreated to natural habitats.

"Genomic evidence links them to cats from the Middle East and Central Asia, suggesting they were introduced to China along the Silk Road by traders." - Shu-Jin Luo, Peking University

Implications and Takeaways

The studies illuminate how human trade, migration, and animal management shaped the spread of domestic cats. They also clarify that leopard cats in East Asia played a distinct, non-domesticated role in human communities for millennia, contrasting with the North African domestication trajectory that ultimately produced Felis catus. The work underscores the value of ancient DNA and modern genomics in reconstructing animal domestication histories, refining our understanding of how humans and cats formed one of the world’s most ubiquitous companion species.

Journal references: Science (doi: 10.1126/science.adt2642) and Cell Genomics (doi: 10.1016/j.xgen.2025.101099).