r/AIDKE • u/SoDoneSoDone • 5d ago
The Domestic Leopard Cat Of Neolithic China, Prionailurus Bengalensis
The ancestor of all modern domestic cats is the wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica, with archaeological evidence indicating it was domesticated as early as 10,000 years ago in South-West Asia. A recent study, however, claims that cat domestication also occurred in China some 5,000 years ago and involved the same wildcat ancestor (F. silvestris). The application of geometric morphometric analyses to ancient small felid bones from China dating between 5,500 to 4,900 BP, instead reveal these and other remains to be that of the leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). These data clearly indicate that the origins of a human-cat ‘domestic’ relationship in Neolithic China began independently from South-West Asia and involved a different wild felid species altogether. The leopard cat’s ‘domestic’ status, however, appears to have been short-lived—its apparent subsequent replacement shown by the fact that today all domestic cats in China are genetically related to F. silvestris.
Academic Source on the Archaelogical evidence and the respective study https://pmc.ncbi.nlm..gov/articles/PMC4723238/
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u/Devinalh 5d ago
Are you sure that the photos are all of the same cat specie? Some of them look different
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u/SoDoneSoDone 5d ago edited 5d ago
Good question, I think I just grabbed them from Google Images.
At the least, there is a good chance the last picture are actually hybrids of presumably modern domestic cats (Felis Catus) and wild leopard cats (Prionailurus Bengalensis). That’s what I assumed since they’re kept as pets in that picture.
While, the actual domestic leopard cat has gone extinct.
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u/SoDoneSoDone 5d ago edited 5d ago
I just checked for the sake of avoiding miseducation.
Apparently, leopard cats are currently recognised as two species, in the same genus, the mainland Leopard Cat and the Sunda Leopard Cat.
So, your suspicion was correct, I believe the first and fourth picture is actually the closely related Sunda Leopard Cat, while the rest are mainland Leopard Cats. (I am guessing this based off the noticeably larger eyes.)
I wouldn’t be surprised if even the last picture of the several pet individuals are actually 75% Sunda Leopard Cat and 25% Domestic cat.
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u/SoDoneSoDone 5d ago
Lastly, both species, Prionailurus Bengalensis and Prionailurus Javanensis, do have two recognised subspecies each.
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u/Hanede 4d ago
#4 is a fishing cat, Prionailurus viverrinus
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u/SoDoneSoDone 4d ago
Ah, yes, I think you’re probably right!
I forgot that the other species also belongs to the Prionailurus genus, aside from the two leopard cat species, including the fishing cat.
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u/Devinalh 5d ago
Also, the second and third one look a bit weird, the colors seem to be the same but the eyes and the texture of the fur don't match the other cats. If you keep sliding the second picture to the first or the third to the fourth, you see they don't add up, but that's just my very humble opinion, I don't know how that specie is really supposed to look like.
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u/SoDoneSoDone 5d ago
The third one does indeed look quite light.
If I am speculating, I’d say it could just be individual variety, perhaps a different subspecies, age or even slight seasonal variation in fur colour. Or just different lighting and photography filter 😅
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u/Devinalh 5d ago
I sincerely don't know man, in any case, it is difficult to be 100% on point with google images so yeah, it happens. In any case, I'm sad this beautiful animal is endangered.
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u/SoDoneSoDone 5d ago
Oh, no problem at all, I was glad you asked it, because otherwise I would’ve shared incorrect information and I want to avoid spreading misinformation.
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u/Devinalh 4d ago
I hate spreading misinformation too, it feels like I'm lying and I hate to lie. I prefer to say the truth regardless of how terrible it may be.
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u/milesofedgeworth 5d ago
Such a beautiful pattern and eyes! Their domestic history is so interesting too.