Friday, February 1, 2008

Housecat's Genes Traced to the Middle East

The roots of the domesticated cat's family tree all converge in the Middle East, with many surprising ancestral twists and turns along the way, reveals a new genetic study on house kitties that included purebreds, mutts and even feral felines.

The study, one of the most extensive of its kind, used 39 genetic identity markers identified in 11,100 cats. Like branches on a person's family tree, these were used to determine the heritage of today's cats.

The DNA evidence adds to earlier archaeological findings and research that suggested the mother of all housecats was Middle Eastern.

Source: Discovery News

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