Tag Archives: domesticated

Scientists Uncover the (Surprising) Creepy Reason Humans First Domesticated Cats

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Recent studies have uncovered new insights regarding the timing and locations of cat domestication. Contrary to the belief that these early felines were simply pampered companions or helpful pest eliminators, it appears they may have primarily been bred for mass sacrificial purposes.

Historically, it was thought that the domestication of cats began over 9,000 years ago as Wildcats started to adapt to the first agricultural settlements.

As grain storage attracted rodents, North African Wildcats (Ferris Livica) began hunting these pests, fostering mutually beneficial relationships that ultimately led to domestication.

However, this model is now being rigorously examined. “North African wildcats, the wild ancestors of domestic cats, were believed to have been tamed during the Neolithic era,” states Dr. Shawn Doherty, an archaeological scientist at the University of Exeter and lead author of a study featured in BBC Science Focus.

“Our research challenges this narrative by reviewing existing osteological, genetic, and iconographic evidence. We propose that cat domestication actually began in Egypt around the first millennium BC.”

Dr. Doherty’s team reassessed ancient cat artifacts from archaeological sites across Europe and North Africa, from antiquity to the present, utilizing zooarchaeological analysis, genetics, and radiocarbon dating. They found that the bones from agricultural villages in Cyprus dating back 900 to 500 years ago closely resembled those of Wildcats, undermining prior assumptions of early domestication.

Some misconceptions stem from the small size of cat bones, which can migrate between soil layers over time. “We employed radiocarbon dating to verify the ages, revealing that many cat remains are significantly more recent than previously believed.”

This data implies that the domestication of cats actually occurred much later than previously thought.

Millions of cats were sacrificed and mummified in ancient Egypt, dating from the late period to the Ptolemaic period (715-30 BC). – Getty

Researchers suggest that while rodent control may have played a role in domestication, religion could have been even more significant. In ancient Egypt, cats were revered as sacred to the goddess Bastet, and millions were kept for sacrificial purposes.

“The bond between domestic cats and the Egyptian goddess Bastet peaked in the first millennium BC,” Dr. Doherty noted. “Millions of mummified cats have been discovered in temples dedicated to her. During the Victorian era, these remains were often exhumed and transported to England for use as fertilizer.”

Through the breeding of vast numbers of kittens for ritualistic sacrifice, traits that made them more manageable may have gradually been selected, leading to the emergence of the domestic cat.

A second genome-related study, co-authored by Dr. Doherty, analyzed 87 ancient and modern cat genomes, finding no evidence that domestic cats migrated to Europe with Neolithic farmers. Instead, they likely arrived within the last 2,000 years from North Africa.

“I think this illustrates that the bond between humans and cats is not necessarily a result of the length of time they have been together, unlike with dogs,” Dr. Doherty stated.

Considering the motivations behind their early domestication, it is no surprise that cats exhibit such ethereal behavior.

Both studies are preliminary and are currently awaiting formal peer review.

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About our experts

Shawn Doherty is a senior researcher at the University of Exeter. His expertise lies in exploring deep time and animal-environment interactions through the integration of fauna, biomolecules (isotope analysis, proteomics, and genetics), alongside historical and anthropological studies.

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Studies Suggest Pigs Were Domesticated from Wild Boars in Southern China Over 8,000 Years Ago

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China has been recognized as one of the primary locations for the domestication of Wild boar (SUSSCROFA). However, tracing back to the initial stages has proven to be complex. In a recent study, archaeologists examined pig dental calculus (mineralized deposits) from two early Neolithic sites in the lower Jotz River area of southern China: Jintushan (8,300–7,800 years ago) and Kuafukiao (8,200–7,000 years ago). Their findings indicate that pigs consumed food and waste associated with humans, including cooked starchy plants and Human whipworm (Trichuris trichiura). Eggs likely originated from food preparation and feces contaminated materials.

Wild boar (SUSSCROFA). Image credit: Elşad Ibrahimov / CC BY-SA 4.0.

The domestication of certain animals, including pigs, is often linked to the Neolithic Age, when humans started moving from foraging to agricultural practices around 10,000 years ago.

Wild boars are substantial, aggressive creatures that generally live independently, foraging for food in the forest floor.

They possess larger heads, mouths, and teeth compared to domestic pigs.

“Most wild boars exhibit natural aggression, though some can be quite friendly and unafraid of humans,” stated Dr. Ziajin Wang from Dartmouth University.

“Proximity to humans provided them with easier access to food, reducing the need for a robust physique.”

“Over time, their bodies and brains shrunk by about one-third.”

To investigate the domestication of pigs and other animals, archaeologists frequently analyze skeletal structures and track morphological changes over time.

“This method can present challenges since decreases in body size typically occur later in the domestication timeline,” Dr. Wang noted.

“Behavioral changes likely preceded physical alterations, making animals more docile than aggressive.”

Thus, for this study, Dr. Wang and his team applied alternative methodologies, documenting the diet of pigs throughout their lifespan via molars from 32 pig specimens.

Through microfossil analysis of pig teeth, they examined dental calculus from the two earliest human-occupied sites in Jintushan and Kuafukiao, dating back at least 8,000 years.

The researchers identified 240 starch granules, revealing that pigs consumed pre-cooked foods (such as rice and mountain moss) alongside unidentified tubers, acorns, and wild grasses.

“These plants were present during that era and were found in human habitats,” Dr. Wang explained.

Previous studies identified rice in both locations, especially in Kuahuqiao, which benefited from intensive rice farming due to its access to freshwater compared to coastal areas.

Additional research indicated starch residues in crushed stones and ceramics from Kuahuqiao.

“Since pigs cannot cook their own food, it is likely that they were fed or scavenged human leftovers,” asserted Dr. Wang.

Parasite eggs from humans, specifically whipworms (which mature within the human digestive system), were also detected in pig dental calculus.

These tan, soccer-shaped eggs were found in 16 pig tooth specimens.

The pigs must have consumed human feces or contaminated food and water from such waste.

“Pigs have a well-known penchant for consuming human waste, further indicating that these pigs likely cohabitated with humans,” Dr. Wang remarked.

Statistical analysis of the dental structures of Kuafukiao and Jintan pig specimens revealed that their teeth are smaller and comparable to those of modern domestic groups in China.

“As humans began to settle and cultivate their own food, wild boars would have been drawn to these settlements,” Dr. Wang stated.

“These communities generated substantial waste, attracting scavengers in search of food.

This dynamic in animal domestication is termed a symbiotic pathway, where animals are drawn to human environments without the need for direct human action in adopting them.

Data also suggests that early interactions may include domesticated pigs under some level of human control, indicating a trajectory of prey pathways in the domestication process.

“Our study indicates that certain wild boars began their journey toward domestication by foraging human waste,” Dr. Wang concluded.

“This research also underscores the potential connection between pig domestication and the transmission of parasitic diseases in early settled communities.”

The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Jiajing Wang et al. 2025. Early evidence of pig domestication in the lower Yangtze region of southern China (8,000 cal. bp). PNAS 122 (24): E2507123122; doi: 10.1073/pnas.2507123122

Source: www.sci.news

New DNA studies indicate that modern horses were not domesticated until at least 2700 B.C.

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Horses revolutionized human history by increasing mobility, but the timeline between their domestication and widespread integration as a form of transportation remains debated.

Genetic evidence suggests that modern domestic horses emerged around 3000 BC in the steppes of western Eurasia, including an area inhabited by nomadic peoples known as the Yamnaya.

According to some accounts, the Yamnaya people migrated to Europe on horseback.

The earlier appearance of a different lineage of domesticated horses (probably used for milk) in association with the Botai culture of Central Asia (context: c. 3500 BC) also adds confusion.

To explore the possible timing of domestication, Dr. Ludovic Orlando of the Toulouse Centre for Anthropology and Genomics, Dr. Pablo Librado of the Barcelona Institute of Evolutionary Biology and their colleagues analysed the genomes of 475 ancient horses and 77 modern horses.

“I started working with horses about 10 years ago, and at the time there were only a few ancient genomes,” Dr. Librado said.

“With this new study, we now have hundreds of specimens. The increased resolution over Central Europe, the Carpathians and the Transylvanian Basin was particularly important, as this region was at the heart of the ongoing debate about a large-scale horse-driven migration out of the steppes around 5,000 years ago, or maybe even earlier.”

The researchers found that around 2200 BC there was a clear change in horse breeding practices (including the introduction of inbreeding), which resulted in the replacement of almost all horse bloodlines with modern livestock bloodlines.

This expansion was preceded by a domestication bottleneck (starting around 2,700 BC) that shortened generation times (related to the age at which horses breed) and made it easier to breed new domestic horses.

Previous studies have suggested that the Yamnaya migration occurred between 3,300 and 2,600 BCE.

The timing suggested by this study is therefore inconsistent with the hypothesis that the Yamnaya-related steppe peoples were accompanied by large herds of modern domesticated horses.

The authors also found evidence of domestication of the Botai horse, including shortened generation times, which means that horse domestication may have occurred in some areas before 2700 BC, but did not lead to widespread migration of horses.

“One question I've long wondered about is the scale of production: how was it possible to suddenly keep such large numbers of horses from a relatively small livestock area to meet growing global demand by the turn of the second millennium BC?” Dr Orlando said.

“Now we have the answer: breeders have controlled the reproduction of the animals so well that the time interval between two generations has been almost halved.”

“Simply put, they were able to speed up the breeding process and essentially double their production rate.”

“Our methodology for measuring temporal changes in generation time has great potential,” Dr. Librado explained.

“This adds a new method to the archaeozoological toolkit for monitoring the development of managed breeding in a range of livestock species beyond horses.”

“But it could also help shed light on generation intervals in our hunter-gatherer ancestors and how these intervals evolved alongside changing lifestyles and significant climatic changes.”

“Our evidence supports two stages of domestication of the horse,” Dr Orlando said.

“The first attempts, which occurred around 5,500 years ago, were aimed at addressing the decline of horse populations and providing food for people living on the steppes of Central Asia.”

“The domestic horse as we know it emerged from a second period of domestication about 4,200 years ago.”

“This allowed high-speed travel for the first time and truly changed human history.”

of study Published in this week's journal Nature.

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P. Librado otherHorse travel became widespread in Eurasia around 2200 BC. NaturePublished online June 6, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07597-5

Source: www.sci.news

Studies show that chickens were commonly domesticated in southern Central Asia by 400 BC

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origin and spread of chicken (Gallus Gallus) The question throughout the ancient world is one of the most puzzling questions about Eurasian livestock. The lack of agreement regarding the time and center of origin is due to problems in morphological identification, lack of direct dating, and poor preservation of thin and fragile bird bones. In a new study, archaeologists examined ancient chicken eggshells from 13 different sites spanning 1,500 and a half years. Their results indicate that chickens were widely domesticated in southern Central Asia from the 4th century BC to the Middle Ages and may have dispersed along the ancient Silk Road.

Compilation of evidence on ancient chickens of Central Asia: SEM images of Bash Tepa eggshells. Morphologically distinct breathing holes highlighted at 30x (a), 150x (b), and 750x (f) magnification. (c) A ceramic egg with a clay ball, excavated in Bukhara from the 10th century AD to the 12th century AD. (d) Bactrian Sophites coin of 300 BC. (g) Fragments of the Bash Tepa ossuary dating from the last centuries BC. There is clearly a chicken drawn on the top. (h) Part of an eggshell collected from the Bukhara site. Color (basically all white) and burnt were evident on many of the shells.Image credit: Peters other., doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46093-2.

Dr Kari Peters, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, said: “With the introduction of genetic and molecular techniques, the debate over the origin and spread of domesticated chickens has intensified in recent years. “An old debate over a mysterious bird is being reignited.” colleague.

“Historical sources demonstrate that chickens were prominent in southern Europe and southwest Asia by several centuries BC.”

“Similarly, art historical depictions of chickens and anthropomorphic rooster-human chimeras are recurring motifs in Central Asian prehistoric and historical traditions. It remains a mystery when this critically important bird spread along the trans-Eurasian exchange route.”

“Experts agree that domestication traits evolved in island populations of junglefowl in South Asia. Red Jungle Fowl (Gallus Gallus Subspecies Spediceus) It is located somewhere in a vast range from Thailand to India. ”

“However, scholars have also presented widely differing dates and routes of spread, and part of this confusion may be due to unclear identification of birds in ancient art, and the morphological characteristics of chicken bones that have not been identified. This is due to the overlap with that of wild birds.

“Furthermore, their fragile, hollow bones and eggshells are much less likely to be preserved, recovered, and identified than in other animals.”

In a new study, the authors found evidence that egg production was prominent in Central Asia starting in the centuries BC and continuing into the Middle Ages.

“We show that chickens were widely domesticated in Central Asia from about 400 BC to 1000 AD, and likely dispersed along the ancient Silk Road,” the researchers said.

“The abundance of eggshells further suggests that the birds were laying eggs out of season.”

“It was this ability to produce large numbers of eggs that made domestic chickens so attractive to ancient peoples.”

To reach these conclusions, researchers collected tens of thousands of eggshell fragments from 13 sites along the Silk Road's main Central Asian corridor.

They then used a biomolecular analysis method called ZooMS to determine the source of the eggs.

Similar to genetic analysis, ZooMS can identify species from animal remains such as bones, skin, and shells, but it relies on protein signals rather than DNA. This makes it a faster and more cost-effective option than genetic analysis.

“Our study shows the potential of ZooMS to shed light on human-animal interactions in the past,” said Dr. Peters.

“The identification of these shell fragments as chickens and their abundance throughout the sediment layers at each site led us to an important conclusion: this bird was They must have been laying eggs more frequently than their wild ancestor, the red junglefowl, which nests once every year.''In a year, they typically lay six eggs per clutch. ”

“This is the earliest evidence of seasonal spawning loss seen in the archaeological record,” said Dr. Robert Spengler, a researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology.

“This is an important clue for a deeper understanding of the human-animal mutualism that led to domestication.”

team's paper It was published in the magazine nature communications.

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C. Peters other. 2024. Archaeological and molecular evidence for ancient chickens in Central Asia. Nat Commune 15, 2697; doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-46093-2

Source: www.sci.news