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People In China Kept Leopard Cats As Pets For 3,500 Years, Before Domestic Cats Arrived Via The Silk Road
- Recent study shows leopard cats were kept as pets in China for 3,500 years before domestic cats arrived via the Silk Road.
- The first known domestic cat in China appeared around 730 CE in Tongwan City, likely brought by Silk Road merchants.
- Depictions of domestic felines appear on tombs during the Tang Dynasty, signaling a cultural shift toward domestication.
- Genome analysis of the first domestic cat suggests it was pale/light-colored, aligning with historical painting trends.
- The study links a Han Dynasty disruption to the disappearance of leopard cats from Chinese sites after 150 CE.
- Leopard cats remained in human homes for millennia due to vermin control and companionship.
- The study uses remains from 22 cats across 14 sites to reconstruct early domestication events.
- The Silk Road facilitated the movement of the first domestic cat into China, linking East and West.
- The research indicates leopard-cat domestication ended as humans and ecosystems shifted after the Han era.
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