Name ______________________________ Core _________ Date ________________________

Where Do House Cats Come From?

WASHINGTON, D.C. Scientists have discovered something new about the house cat, one of the world's oldest pets. The loving, graceful, and finicky ruler of millions of homes around the world is actually descended from the lybica, a Middle Eastern wildcat. Through DNA research, scientists have traced the house cat to five ancestors that lived more than 100,000 years ago in the Middle East.

The recent cat-origin study was conducted by an international team of researchers. The team included Carlos Driscoll of Oxford University and the National Cancer Institute. Researchers collected information on mitochondrial DNA. Mitochondrial DNA is the substance that carries genetic information. Driscoll and the team tested the DNA of 979 domestic and wild cats from Europe, Asia, and Africa. They found that the DNA of some wild cats matched that of domestic cats in many parts of the Middle East. The discovery led the researchers to conclude that those Middle Eastern cats are related to the modern house cat.

Researcher Stephen J. O'Brien said that house cats, which include fancy breeds and feral cats, form a group that is "indistinguishable from ones in the Middle East."

The study traced the cats' ancestry to five types of wild cats that lived 100,000 years ago. These five types of cats interbred. This resulted in a new species: Felis silvestris lybica. This species is the apparent ancestor of the modern house cat. The interbreeding is believed to have taken place between 130,000 and 160,000 years ago. At this point, said O'Brien, a cat version of "Adam and Eve" originated the species that would yield the house cat.

But how did the wild lybica become domesticated? According to O'Brien, the domestication of cats began around 10,000 years ago. The earliest archaeological evidence of cats and humans in association dates to 9,500 years ago on the island of Cyprus. "We also have evidence of cat domestication by the Egyptians because of their . . . artwork," said Joan Miller of the Cat Fanciers' Association. Scientists have determined that thousands of years ago, wild cats began hunting the rodents that plagued farms on which grains and cereals were grown. As a result, cats and humans developed a relationship.

"Domestication, for sure, took place in the Middle East where those cats live today," said O'Brien.

For O'Brien, the domestication of cats resulted from what he calls "an amazing experiment." He finds it remarkable that an animal known for its ferocious and deadly nature was able to be domesticated.

Some are fascinated by a secondary finding of the cat-origin research. While gathering DNA from European, Asian, and African cats, researchers found that some cats in the Middle East did not share the same DNA as the lybica. These cats were distinct from the species that yielded the house cat. "I would like to know more about these cats," said Joan Miller.

According to Carlos Driscoll, the study of cats is serious business for genetic researchers. Cats are a model for some human genetic diseases. The cat research is also expected to assist in wildcat conservation efforts.

Dictionary

disease (noun) a sickness

DNA (noun) something in our bodies that tells us where we came from

domesticate (verb) to get an animal used to living around people

genetic (adjective) having to do with genes; genes are tiny parts of all living things that decide what we look

like, along with other things about us

scientist (noun) a person who studies people and things

domesticated (adjective) tamed; used to living around people

interbreed (verb) to produce young from mates of different breeds or species

originate (verb) to bring something into being

Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the choice the best completes the statement. (2 points each)

1. What is the cause and effect relationship that takes place in the article?

A. The comparison of Egyptian artwork to the modern house cat caused researchers to conclude that cats were used to rid farms of rodents.

B. The comparison of the DNA of domestic and wild cats in the Middle East caused researchers to conclude that those cats are related.

C. The comparison of the DNA of cats to that of humans caused researchers to conclude that cats were first domesticated in Cyprus.

D. The comparison of Egyptian artwork to that of the Middle East caused researchers to conclude that cats can serve as a genetic model for some diseases.

2. Based on the article, the reader can predict that __________.

A. Genetic researchers will study cats to learn more about human genetic diseases.

B. Genetic researchers will study humans in order to learn about cat diseases.

C. In the end, the cat research will prove useless to wildcat conservation efforts.

D. In the end, the cat research will prove useless to genetic researchers.

3. Which is the closest antonym for the word domesticated?

A. Fickle

B. Flimsy

C. Feral

D. Frisky

4. What is this article mainly about?

A. A study showing similarities between a human and a cat

B. How the modern house cat became domesticated

C. How scientists research the DNA of domestic cats

D. A study tracing the house cat to Middle Eastern ancestors

5. Which of these is most important to include in a summary of this article?

A. The study of cats is expected to help in the effort to protect wildcats.

B. The study traced the ancestry of the house cat to five types of wild cats.

C. The study was conducted by an international team of researchers.

D. The study of cats is serious business for genetic researchers.

6. According to the article, which happened after scientists tested the DNA?

A. Scientists began to collect the DNA of domestic and wild cats.

B. Scientists began to link the house cat to five types of wild cats.

C. Cats began hunting mice on farms.

D. Cats and humans began to live together.

7. Which question is not answered by the article?

A. Why is cat research important to genetic researchers?

B. Why did cats start living with humans?

C. How many cats were tested in the study?

D. How will cat research assist in wildcat conservation?

8. The article states: He finds it remarkable that an animal known for its ferocious and deadly nature was able to be domesticated. Which would be the closest synonym for the word ferocious?

A. Vulgar

B. Vaudevillian

C. Valiant

D. Violent

Opinion Question: What is the most important goal in studying DNA?

We learn about the origins of house cats.

We can better understand genetic diseases.

We can better protect wild cats.

Thought Question: Look back at today's article. Describe the events, in the correct order, that led to the domestication of cats. Then explain why the new research is important. Use ideas from the article in your response.

Math- Scientists are studying the DNA of five groups of cats, both wild and domesticated. Each group has a different number of cats, and the numbers in the respective groups form a sequence of five consecutive integers. If 2,500 cats are involved in the study, how many cats are in the largest group?