Now I have TOO MANY tags, right?
Jul. 17th, 2007 09:55 pmThe July 2007 issue of Scientific American has an article called, "The Evolution of Cats." It's unfortunately not available online, though, or I'd link you guys.
From the "key concepts" summary:
...And apparently the domestic cat comes from the most recent branch ancestor, which lived 3.4 million years ago!
I opened the magazine to the page showing the "cat family tree" and held it in front of Callisto's nose today. (See my icon; that's Callisto, the biggest of our four.)
ME: Look, Callisto! It's your genealogy!
CALLISTO: *sniffsniff* *looks at me: IZ NOT EDEEBALL!*
ME: Well, you're not supposed to eat it, cat.
CALLISTO: *disdain* *rolls over* *look: PLZ TO BE RUBBIN MAH BELIE*
Conversations with him generally go something along those lines.
In other news - because everyone's doing it, and it's actually rather attractive - ( my personality.info badge )
From the "key concepts" summary:
- The family history of the cat has been murky because cat fossils are sparse and difficult to tell apart. But advances in the study of DNA have made it possible to construct the first clearly resolved family tree for cats.
- The DNA evidence shows that all living cats trace back to a pantherlike predator that lived in Southeast Asia 10.8 million years ago. The great roaring cats were the first to branch off; seven other lineages followed.
...And apparently the domestic cat comes from the most recent branch ancestor, which lived 3.4 million years ago!
I opened the magazine to the page showing the "cat family tree" and held it in front of Callisto's nose today. (See my icon; that's Callisto, the biggest of our four.)
ME: Look, Callisto! It's your genealogy!
CALLISTO: *sniffsniff* *looks at me: IZ NOT EDEEBALL!*
ME: Well, you're not supposed to eat it, cat.
CALLISTO: *disdain* *rolls over* *look: PLZ TO BE RUBBIN MAH BELIE*
Conversations with him generally go something along those lines.
In other news - because everyone's doing it, and it's actually rather attractive - ( my personality.info badge )