House cats and big cats such as lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars share an interesting history and genetic connection. Though house cats are domesticated and big cats are wild, they are all part of the biological family Felidae and share a relatively recent common ancestor. This means that house cats, despite their small size and docile nature compared to a lion or tiger, contain some of the same DNA that gives big cats their power, agility, hunting instincts, and other traits.
In this article, we will explore the Felidae family tree, tracing the lineage from the common ancestor of house cats and big cats to how they evolved into separate species. We will compare their genetics, physical features, behaviors, and the impact domestication had on the house cat versus its wild cousins. Understanding this shared ancestry provides fascinating insight into why our furry feline friends act the way they do.
Felidae Family Tree
The Felidae family consists of all cat species, ranging from domestic cats to tigers. There are two main subfamilies: Pantherinae and Felinae (Wikipedia). The Pantherinae subfamily includes lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars. The Felinae subfamily includes smaller cats like house cats, lynxes, and bobcats. All felids share a common ancestor from around 10–15 million years ago (Wildcat Family).
There are 37 known species of felids divided into 8 genera. The genera in the Pantherinae subfamily are Panthera (tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards), Neofelis (clouded leopards), and Pardofelis (marbled cat). The genera in the Felinae subfamily are Felis (wildcats, lynxes, pumas), Prionailurus (fishing cats, leopard cats), Otocolobus (Pallas’s cat), Leptailurus (serval), and Catopuma (Asian golden cat) (Revised Felidae Taxonomy).
All felids share the same basic body structure with adaptations for stalking, pouncing, and killing prey. They have strong jaws, sharp teeth, retractable claws, flexible bodies, and acute senses of sight, smell, and hearing.
Common Ancestor
The felidae family emerged from a common ancestor in Asia between 9 and 20 million years ago (MYA) in the Late Miocene epoch (Felidae Evolution ~ Cat Family Tree ~ Wild Cat Lineages). The last common ancestor of modern cats was a species of Pseudaelurus that lived during this time period (Felidae). Fossil evidence indicates that this genus spread across Eurasia and Africa and eventually gave rise to the feline lineages we recognize today.
Genetic Similarities
House cats share a remarkable amount of their DNA with big cats. According to a 2013 study published in the journal PNAS, the domestic cat shares 95.6% of its DNA with tigers (Source). Tigers and house cats diverged approximately 10.8 million years ago from a common ancestor, yet their genomes have remained surprisingly similar.
There is also a high degree of genetic overlap with other big cat species. Genetically, house cats are about 90% similar to lions. Leopards share about 91% of their DNA with domestic cats. This shows just how closely house cats are related to larger wild cats, even though they look quite different on the outside.
Physical Traits
Despite the obvious size difference, house cats share many physical characteristics with their big cat relatives. Both domestic cats and wild cats have lithe, muscular bodies designed for hunting prey. They have flexible spines and loose skin that allows them to twist and turn quickly. Their retractable claws are sharp for catching prey, and their teeth are adapted for grabbing, killing, and tearing meat.
Cats both large and small have excellent vision suited for hunting, with eyes positioned on the front of their faces. They also have sensitive whiskers to help detect prey. Additionally, cats are digitigrade walkers, meaning they walk on their toes. This allows them to move quietly and stealthily.
Both domestic and wild cats are covered in fur with a similar pattern of stripes, spots, and solid coloring. Their fur provides camouflage while hunting. Cats also have extra folds of skin on their bellies to protect them when hunting dangerous prey. Overall, the physical characteristics of house cats closely mirror those of their larger wild relatives.
Behaviors
One of the most striking similarities between house cats and big cats is in their instinctual behaviors. Both domestic and wild felines engage in many of the same predatory and territorial behaviors due to their shared evolutionary history.
Stalking prey is an instinctual behavior found in all cats. Domestic cats and large wild cats like lions or tigers will carefully and stealthily stalk potential prey before pouncing to catch it. Their ability to be light on their feet and mask their scent allows them to get close to prey without detection.
Marking territory with scent is another way house cats demonstrate their relation to larger feline species. Big cats like leopards and jaguars will rub up against trees, urinate, or leave claw marks to establish their domain. Similarly, when house cats scratch furniture or rub up against people’s legs, they are marking their territory by leaving their scent behind.
Both domestic and wild cats are also crepuscular, meaning they are most active during twilight hours at dawn and dusk and sleep often throughout the day. Their night vision abilities allow them to hunt effectively in low light conditions.
While domesticated house cats display these behaviors on a smaller scale than big cats, the instinctual nature of their actions links them back to their larger wild ancestors.
Differences
Although house cats share many similarities with big cats, their genomes have diverged in some key ways after domestication. Here are some of the main genetic differences between house cats and their wild cousins:
Coat colors – House cats exhibit a much wider variety of coat colors and patterns compared to big cats. Many of these coat variations originated through selective breeding after domestication. https://cats.com/are-domestic-cats-related-to-big-cats
Body size – On average, house cats are much smaller than big cats, weighing around 8 pounds compared to over 200 pounds for a lion or tiger. This reduction in size is likely due to domestication and less need to hunt large prey. https://www.lonetreevet.com/blog/wild-and-domestic-cats/
Docility – House cats tend to be more docile and less aggressive compared to their undomesticated counterparts. Selective breeding likely played a role in reducing aggression against humans.
Dependency – House cats are more dependent on humans to provide food, shelter, and care. Big cats retain their hunter instincts and ability to survive independently in the wild.
Vocalizations – The vocal repertoire of house cats has expanded to include more “meows”, “purrs”, and other sounds to communicate with humans.
In summary, domestication altered house cats genetically to better adapt them to human environments and interaction.
Domestication
Cats began the process of domestication around 10,000 to 12,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent region of the Middle East, where some of the earliest human agricultural settlements were located. As humans started growing cereal grains and storing them in granaries, this attracted rodents looking for an easy meal. The ancestors of the modern house cat likely started interacting with humans as they were drawn to rodent-infested granaries. Humans likely welcomed the cats’ presence as they helped control the rodent populations that were consuming their grain stores. According to The Scientific American, this commensal relationship between humans and cats was likely the starting point for the domestication process.
While the exact timeline is debated, most sources agree that cats were fully domesticated by the Egyptians by around 3,600 years ago. Cats held an important place in ancient Egyptian culture and were revered for their ability to kill vipers and control rodents. The Egyptians likely started selectively breeding cats for desired traits like tameness, marking early stages of domestication. Egyptian art depicts images of cats going back as far as 4,000 years ago. Genetic studies show that nearly all modern house cats are descended from the African wildcat native to the Middle East and Africa. Domestication caused physiological changes like smaller size and more docile behavior that differentiated cats from their wild ancestors.
Impact of Domestication
Domestication over thousands of years has had some key impacts on cats genetically and behaviorally compared to their wild ancestors. Genetically, domestic cats are smaller in size and weight than big cats. Some studies have shown domestic house cats retain similar features found in kittens their whole life, such as large eyes, rounded features, and playful behavior, in a process called neoteny. Behaviorally, domestic cats are much more social with humans compared to wild cats, and engage in more vocal communication with meows, purrs, and other sounds to communicate with their human owners. Domestic cats are also less aggressive towards humans compared to wild cats and engage in more playful behavior. However, some predatory instincts remain strong in domestic cats from their wild ancestors.
Conclusion
In summary, house cats and big cats share a tremendous amount of DNA due to their common ancestry as members of the Felidae family. Though they have notable physical differences as a result of domestication, house cats retain many of the traits and behaviors of their big cat relatives. Their shared genetics link them to a common wild ancestor from which all modern cats descended. Though they occupy very different ecological niches today, the DNA evidence shows that house cats still carry the legacy of the great cats of the wild.