- A new DNA study indicates domestic cats originated in North Africa, not the Middle East, around 2,000 years ago.
- Previous theories based on mitochondrial DNA suggested cat domestication occurred about 6,500 years ago in the Middle East, but full genome analysis refutes this timeline.
- Archaeological evidence, including a 9,500-year-old cat burial in Cyprus and ancient Egyptian art, had supported earlier domestication, but genetic data now points to a later spread.
- Domestic cats likely spread via Phoenician and Punic traders and were further disseminated by Roman conquests across Europe.
- Research also shows domestic cats reached East Asia 1,400 years ago via Silk Road merchants, while older Chinese feline remains represent local leopard cats.
- Future studies aim to analyze DNA from North African samples, including Egyptian mummies, to better understand domestication origins and processes.