Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication

Abstract

Domestic cats are one of the most popular pets globally, but the process of their domestication is not well understood. Near Eastern wildcats are thought to have been attracted to food sources in early agricultural settlements, following a commensal pathway to domestication. Early evidence for close human-cat relationships comes from a wildcat interred near a human on Cyprus ca. 9,500 y ago, but the earliest domestic cats are known only from Egyptian art dating to 4,000 y ago. Evidence is lacking from the key period of cat domestication 9,500-4,000 y ago. We report on the presence of cats directly dated between 5560-5280 cal B.P. in the early agricultural village of Quanhucun in Shaanxi, China. These cats were outside the wild range of Near Eastern wildcats and biometrically smaller, but within the size-range of domestic cats. The δ(13)C and δ(15)N values of human and animal bone collagen revealed substantial consumption of millet-based foods by humans, rodents, and cats. Ceramic storage containers designed to exclude rodents indicated a threat to stored grain in Yangshao villages. Taken together, isotopic and archaeological data demonstrate that cats were advantageous for ancient farmers. Isotopic data also show that one cat ate less meat and consumed more millet-based foods than expected, indicating that it scavenged among or was fed by people. This study offers fresh perspectives on cat domestication, providing the earliest known evidence for commensal relationships between people and cats.

Keywords: Quanhucun site; felid; mutualism; stable isotopes; zooarchaeology.

Fig. 1.

Felid specimens from the site of Quanhucun showing key body parts and the presence of an aged animal with worn dentition. (A) Left mandible with worn fourth premolar and first molar; (B) right humerus; (C) left pelvis; (D) proximal left tibia.

Fig. 2.

Scatter plot of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values for humans and other animals from Quanhucun showing that C₄-based foods contributed exclusively to human, pig, and dog diets, whereas wild herbivores relied heavily on C₃ diets. The δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values of cats indicate that they consumed substantial C₄-based protein. One cat has a particularly low δ¹³C value, indicating a higher than expected reliance on agricultural products.