Domestic cats from the East and wildcats native to Europe did not mix until the 1960s, despite being in the same territory for over 2,000 years, according to a study published in Current Biology.
An international team, including multiple European groups, has unveiled new archaeological and genetic data, changing our understanding of cats in Europe. The team sequenced and analysed domestic and wild cats, including 48 modern animals and 258 ancient samples from 85 archaeological sites. From these samples, the team assessed patterns if hybridisation after domestic cats came into contact with wild European cats.
Curiously, the results show that domestic and wild cats avoided mating for over 2,000 years. About 50 years ago, however, it all changed. Researchers don’t really understand why, but possibly due to a decreasing population of wild cats, the rates of interbreeding increased rapidly.
“Wildcats and domestic cats have only hybridised very recently. It is clear that hybridisation is a result of modern threats common to many of our native species. Habitat loss and persecution have pushed wildcats to the brink of extinction in Britain. It is fascinating that we can use genetic data to look back at their population history, and use what we have learnt to protect Scottish Wildcats,” said Jo Howard-McCombe from the University of Bristol and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.
“The nature of the Scottish wildcat and its relation to feral domestic cats has long been a mystery. Modern molecular methods and mathematical modelling have helped to provide an understanding of what the Scottish wildcat truly is, and the threats that have led to its decline,” added Professor Mark Beaumont, from the University of Bristol.
Curiously, this interbreeding between domestic and wild animals has happened with every domestic animal except dogs.
Jamieson A, Carmagnini A, Howard-McCombe J, Doherty S, Hirons A, et al (2023) Limited historical admixture between European wildcats and domestic cats. Curr Biol. 2023 Nov 6;33(21):4751-4760.e14, 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.031