Domestic Cats Were Introduced to Europe around 2,000 Years Ago, Probably from North Africa: Study | Sci.News

The genomes of ancient cats from archaeological sites across Europe and Anatolia (circles in the map) revealed that domestic cats were introduced to Europe from North Africa starting at 2,000 years ago, several millennia after the onset of the Neolithic in Europe; African wildcats in Sardinia originate from a distinct wildcat population in Northwest Africa. Image credit: De Martino et al., doi: 10.1126/science.adt2642.

Domestic Cats Were Introduced to Europe around 2,000 Years Ago, Probably from North Africa: Study

An international team of scientists led by University of Rome Tor Vergata researchers has sequenced the genomes of 87 ancient and modern cats.