- Leopard cats lived near humans in China over 5,000 years before domestic cats arrived
- 22 small cat bones from Chinese archaeological sites revealed early leopard cat presence
- Leopard cats helped control pests in early agricultural settlements near humans
A new study from China has revealed a surprising chapter in cat history. The domestic cats we know today were not the first felines to live alongside humans in the region. Instead, another species-the leopard cat, formed a close connection with people thousands of years earlier, reported Newsweek.
Researchers discovered this by studying 22 small cat bones found at archaeological sites in China, covering a time span of 5,000 years. Their work shows that leopard cats lived around human settlements long before domestic cats arrived through the Silk Road around 700 CE.
Ancient DNA studies have revealed that leopard cats appeared in human-made environments at least 5,400 years ago and persisted until around 150 AD.
Researchers reported in their study that phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genomes and radiocarbon dating revealed that six of seven cat remains recovered from Chinese archaeological sites belonged to leopard cats.
Evidence suggests that these small wild cats began living near humans because they preyed on small rodents found in early agricultural settlements.
It is possible that people allowed them to live in their fields because these cats were helpful in pest control. Ancient Chinese art depicts cats with round spots, which resemble the appearance of leopard cats.
These cats benefited from relying on food available around humans, and this relationship may have driven the initial process of domestication.
The study also revealed that there was a long gap between leopard cats' coexistence with humans and the common occurrence of domesticated cats in China.
The authors explained that the disappearance of leopard cats from human settlements coincides with the difficult period between the fall of the Han Dynasty and the rise of the Tang Dynasty. This period was marked by cold and dry weather, low crop production, social unrest, and a declining population for approximately 400 years.
The earliest domesticated cat known in China was found in Shanxi during the Tang Dynasty (706-883 AD) and was identified as a completely or partially white cat.
Genomic analysis of 130 ancient and modern cat specimens from Eurasia revealed that Chinese domesticated cats likely came from the Levant region (eastern Mediterranean). These cats likely came to China via traders along the Silk Road.
Historical records indicate that when domesticated cats first arrived in China, they were considered exotic animals and were primarily kept by royal or wealthy families.
Although leopard cats and domesticated cats once coexisted in ancient Chinese settlements, their relationships with people were different. Only domesticated cats became fully domesticated and later spread throughout the world.
