@article {314322,
	title = {The palaeogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world},
	volume = {1},
	year = {2017},
	month = {2017/06/19},
	pages = {0139 - },
	abstract = {<p>The cat has long been important to human societies as a pest-control agent, object of symbolic value and companion animal, but little is known about its domestication process and early anthropogenic dispersal. Here we show, using ancient DNA analysis of geographically and temporally widespread archaeological cat remains, that both the Near Eastern and Egyptian populations of Felis silvestris lybica contributed to the gene pool of the domestic cat at different historical times. While the cat{\textquoteright}s worldwide conquest began during the Neolithic period in the Near East, its dispersal gained momentum during the Classical period, when the Egyptian cat successfully spread throughout the Old World. The expansion patterns and ranges suggest dispersal along human maritime and terrestrial routes of trade and connectivity. A coat-colour variant was found at high frequency only after the Middle Ages, suggesting that directed breeding of cats occurred later than with most other domesticated animals.</p>
},
	url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0139},
	author = {Ottoni, Claudio and Van Neer, Wim and De Cupere, Bea and Daligault, Julien and Guimaraes, Silvia and Peters, Joris and Spassov, Nikolai and Prendergast, Mary E. and Boivin, Nicole and Morales-Mu{\~n}iz, Arturo and B{\u a}l{\u a}{\c s}escu, Adrian and Becker, Cornelia and Benecke, Norbert and Boroneant, Adina and Buitenhuis, Hijlke and Chahoud, Jwana and Crowther, Alison and Llorente, Laura and Manaseryan, Nina and Monchot, Herv{\'e} and Onar, Vedat and Osypi{\'n}ska, Marta and Putelat, Olivier and Quintana Morales, Er{\'e}ndira M. and Studer, Jacqueline and Wierer, Ursula and Decorte, Ronny and Grange, Thierry and Geigl, Eva-Maria}
}
