The origin of cats, the origin and evolution of cat characters

Summary. The origin and evolution of the word cat in Chinese characters is a shape and sound character, the dog character is on the left, and the Miao character is on the right. "Shuowen Jie Zi" writes that the dog means from the beast, most of the beasts have anti-dogs, there is grass above the word Miao, and there is a field below, which means that it is a small grass in the field, and the extended meaning "small" is used here, and "Miao" is also the pronunciation of the cat's meow.

Together, they are combined into cats, which originally meant small beasts in the field. In ancient China, farmers were often affected by rat infestation in farming, and the harvest was not high, and later they accidentally found an animal - raccoon, which is what we call a wild cat. It was discovered that raccoon dogs could easily catch mice, and in order to increase harvests and reduce rodent infestation, people began to domesticate raccoon dogs, which are now domestic cats.

In order to distinguish between domesticated and wild, the word "cat" was coined separately. This is the origin of the cat and the word cat in our country.

The origin and evolution of the word cat.

The origin and evolution of the word cat in Chinese characters is a shape and sound character, the dog character is on the left, and the Miao character is on the right. "Shuowen Jie Zi" writes that the dog means from the beast, most of the beasts have anti-dogs, there is grass above the word Miao, and there is a field below, which means that it is a small grass in the field, and the extended meaning "small" is used here, and "Miao" is also the pronunciation of the cat's meow. Together, they are combined into cats, which originally meant small beasts in the field.

In ancient China, farmers were often affected by rat infestation in farming, and the harvest was not high, and later they accidentally found an animal - raccoon, which is what we call a wild cat. It was discovered that raccoon dogs could easily catch mice, and in order to increase harvests and reduce rodent infestation, people began to domesticate raccoon dogs, which are now domestic cats. In order to distinguish between domesticated and wild, the word "cat" was coined separately.

This is the origin of the cat and the word cat in our country.

Our Asian cat ode ancestor is the "Indian desert cat", which first appeared in the Indus Valley region for more than 2,000 years. Due to the late domestication of cats in our country, the prosperity of cats in ancient Egypt is slightly inferior. There is a record in the Warring States period "Han Feizi Yang Quan Chapter" that "make the chicken Sichen, order the raccoon to hold the mouse, and use its energy".

This is probably the earliest documented book on cat taming. Large-scale cat breeding in our country probably occurred in the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Kittens were first found in the desert cats of Egypt in Africa, and there are many legends about cats in history. In ancient Egypt, in order to control the rodent infestation and protect the barn, people at that time domesticated wild cats as rat trappers. Due to the outstanding performance of wild cats, they were revered as sacred beasts by the people of the time.

The ancestors of domestic cats** began the domestication process in ancient Egypt around 2,500 BC, when cats were discovered to catch mice and protect granaries. With the domestication of people, cats have gradually become pet cats in our lives now. However, cats still retain some of their primitive functions and are still semi-domesticated animals, unlike dogs, which are completely domesticated, and cats' tempers are still relatively capricious.

According to recent genetic studies, the true origin of domestic cats may be in the Middle East, and the domestication of domestic cats may have occurred several times in the Middle East.

The study found that domestic cats are most closely related to wild cats from places such as Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and that the common ancestors of these domestic cats may have lived in the Fertile Crescent about 10,000 years ago. The origin of domestic cats is very close to the time when humans began to settle the Fertile Crescent and invent agriculture.

It was also slowly domesticated by humans. When he thinks of cats, his skill is to catch mice. This is a solidified understanding of cats, and the cat's "innate ability" is not its fixed attribute.

Its ability to catch rats comes from close contact with humans. Cats were first domesticated as pets by the Egyptians. It wasn't until the late 19th century that a large number of breeds of cats were bred and became popular.

The evolutionary history of cats.

Through fossil research, we know that cats appeared during the Neocene more than 50 million years ago, and that humans had not yet appeared in that ancient period of natural selection and survival of the fittest.

In the face of harsh natural environments and scarce food, the cat's ability to be swift has gradually strengthened in the process of hunting to the death.

The overall morphology of the feline is similar, and the soft spine helps the body to twist to the maximum. Flexibility is greatly increased in the hunting process.

Slender forelimbs and athletic hind limbs help them run, jump, and climb to the maximum. Sharp claws are particularly important during hunting.

Even the tiny tail is not to be underestimated. The long tail helps the feline maintain balance while running.

Various parts of the feline body are intensely threatening. This kept them at the top of the food chain for a long time when the dinosaurs were extinct.

The origin of cats.

The earliest cats appeared about 9.4 million years ago and are the lineage of Asian golden cats produced in Asia. These cats live mainly on the border between China and India.

and China's border with Myanmar and Southeast Asia, among other regions. About 6.7 million years ago, the cats that lived in North America evolved the American golden cat lineage.

The cheetah jaguar and the golden cat belong to this lineage. About 3.4 million years ago, a part of the cat lineage that returned to the Old World broke away from the primitive population.

It was domesticated by humans in Israel and other neighboring countries 10,000 years ago, and helped humans catch rodents and other animals that gnawed on food. This group of Asian feral cats was the ancestor of today's domestic cats.

It was also a wild feline, and when someone got tired, he domesticated it and kept it at home, so that it became a fowl.

So the kitten, it was slowly tamed from a wild cat to our current domestic cat.

The ancestors of domestic cats can be traced back to ancient Egypt around 2500 BC. At that time, in order to control the rodent infestation and protect the barn, the people domesticated wild cats as their rat catchers. Because of their outstanding performance, they were revered as holy beasts by the people of the time.

It has also been suggested that jungle cats and rabbit cats may also be the ancestors of domestic cats, but there is no genetic evidence to support this claim. <

The ancestors of domestic cats can be traced back to ancient Egypt around 2500 BC. At that time, in order to control the rodent infestation and protect the barn, the people domesticated wild cats as their rat catchers. Because of their outstanding performance, they were revered as holy beasts by the people of the time.

It has also been suggested that jungle cats and rabbit cats may also be the ancestors of domestic cats, but there is no genetic evidence to support this claim.

The ancestors of domestic cats are presumed to have originated from ancient Egypt, the Persian cats of Persia.

According to the wild cat bones excavated by paleontologists from ancient strata, the footprints of domestic cat ancestors once spread across the European and North African continents. Feral cats have completely inherited the size and skills of felines, and are well suited to the harsh climatic conditions and natural environment, making them excellent hunters.

The ancestors of European domestic cats came from ancient Qing and dry Egypt, and the Egyptians were indeed the earliest cat owners in human history. The sparkle of Egypt's agrarian civilization required not only the crucial Nile water, but also cats to eradicate the poisonous snakes and rodents that were rampant in the grain. Cat and mouse are often seen in Egyptian tomb paintings and papyrus documents.