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Once humans became farmers and started storing grain, they had a problem with rats and mice. Humans probably domesticated cats because of their rodent-hunting skills. Here, a domestic cat (Felis catus) meets its ancestor, the African wildcat (Felis silvestris), in an Egyptian granary as they both hunt mice. Although some other wild species have been proposed as ancestors of the domestic cat, genetic studies make clear that all are descended from Felis silvestris. |
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