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Nomiyama K, Sato R, Sato F, Eguchi A. Accumulation of persistent organic pollutants in the kidneys of pet cats (Felis silvestris catus) and the potential implications for their health. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 933:173212. [PMID: 38759481 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polychlorinated diphenyls (PCBs) and brominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are ubiquitous in the pet cat's living environment and are ingested through dietary intake and environmental exposure such as house dust. Cats are known to be susceptible to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and exposure to POPs may be associated with CKD. However, no studies have been conducted on the renal accumulation and health effects of POPs in cats. The objective of this study was to elucidate the accumulation of PCBs, PBDEs, and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the kidneys of domestic cats and discuss their potential impact on feline health. We report here that cats specifically accumulate POPs in their kidneys. Tissue samples were collected from the kidneys, livers, and muscles of cats and the concentrations of POPs in these tissues were analyzed in this study. The results showed that these compounds accumulated significantly higher in the kidney compared to other tissues. In addition, the ability to accumulate in the kidney was higher in cats than in other animals, suggesting that cats have a unique pattern of POPs accumulation in their kidneys, which is thought to occur because cats store a significant number of lipid droplets in the proximal tubules of the kidneys. This unique feature suggests that lipophilic POPs may accumulate in these lipid droplets during the excretory process. Accumulation of certain POPs in the kidneys causes necrosis and sloughing of renal tubular epithelial cells, which may be associated with CKD, a common disease in cats. This study provides valuable insight into understanding the renal accumulation and risk of POPs in cats and provides essential knowledge for developing strategies to protect the health and welfare of domestic cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kei Nomiyama
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan.
| | - Rina Sato
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Fuka Sato
- Center for Marine Environmental Studies (CMES), Ehime University, Bunkyo-cho 2-5, Matsuyama, Ehime 790-8577, Japan
| | - Akifumi Eguchi
- Center for Preventive Medical Sciences, Chiba University, Inage-ku Yayoi-cho 1-33, Chiba-city 263-8522, Japan
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2
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van Leeuwen E, Ter Mors E, Stolting M. How Cat-Behavior Advisors Can Improve Clients' Willingness to Adopt their Advice: An Investigation of Advice Severity, Advisor Credibility, and Clients' Self-Identity. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2024; 27:266-280. [PMID: 35485746 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2022.2070845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Feline behavioral problems can be treated successfully by good advice from cat-behavior advisors, but guardians often do not comply with their advice. An experimental survey under 703 cat guardians was used to investigate what advisors can do to increase their clients' compliance with environmental enrichment advice. By systematically varying the credibility of the advisor and the severity of their advice, the hypothesis was confirmed that highly credible advisors elicit more positive attitudes and compliance intentions than less credible advisors. Also as expected, mild advice resulted in stronger compliance intentions than severe advice because guardians believed they were better able to incorporate the required actions. Finally, guardians who more strongly thought of themselves as cat guardians were more likely to adopt the advice because they believed that other cat guardians would do the same. The investigation of factors that can increase cat guardians' compliance with advisors' recommendations for the treatment of behavioral problems is crucial because the wellbeing of domestic cats lies in the hands of their guardians. Several practical recommendations for cat-behavior advisors are offered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther van Leeuwen
- Department of social, economic, and organisational psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Emma Ter Mors
- Department of social, economic, and organisational psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marcellina Stolting
- Department of social, economic, and organisational psychology Kattengedragsadviesbureau (Cat-Behavior Consultancy), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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3
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Ramírez Riveros D, González-Lagos C. Community Engagement and the Effectiveness of Free-Roaming Cat Control Techniques: A Systematic Review. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:492. [PMID: 38338135 PMCID: PMC10854515 DOI: 10.3390/ani14030492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Although free-roaming and feral cat control techniques are often applied in human communities, community engagement is not always considered. A systematic literature review following an update of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) methodology was conducted to evaluate whether community engagement influences the effectiveness of control techniques, excluding culling, in managing cat populations. The degree of community engagement was estimated based on the number of roles reported during the application of the control technique, which included adoption, trapping, care, and/or education. Education followed by adoption was the determining factor in the decreasing cat populations over time. The limited evaluations of control technique effectiveness, narrow geographical scope, and our simple measure of engagement emphasize the need for more detailed studies. These studies should evaluate the effectiveness of control techniques, while considering community engagement more comprehensively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Ramírez Riveros
- Centro de Investigación en Recursos Naturales y Sustentabilidad (CIRENYS), Universidad Bernardo O’Higgins, Santiago 8370993, Chile
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Santiago 8331150, Chile;
| | - César González-Lagos
- Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Santiago 8331150, Chile;
- Departamento de Ciencias, Facultad de Artes Liberales, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago 8320000, Chile
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4
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da Cruz Schaefer G, de Mattos Brose M, Herrera Becerra JR, Bernhardt Rovaris I, Peixoto da Silva Mello F, Schneck Simão B, de Faria Valle S, Poletto Ferreira M, Vieira Amorim da Costa F. Comparison of serum creatinine, point-of-care symmetric dimethylarginine and renal imaging with glomerular filtration rate measured by renal scintigraphy in healthy and early chronic kidney diseased cats. Vet Res Commun 2023; 47:1845-1859. [PMID: 37133704 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-023-10131-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate routinely used tests to diagnose cats in early stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and to describe a model for evaluating these variables simultaneously. Apparently healthy cats were screened using serum creatinine (sCr), point-of-care symmetric dimethylarginine (POC SDMA), urinalysis, urine protein/creatinine ratio (UPC) and imaging evaluation. Those parameters were compared to glomerular filtration rate (GFR) assessed by renal scintigraphy. Forty-four cats were included and consisted of 14 (31.8%) healthy cats (absence of abnormalities in renal morphology and sCr less than 1.6 mg/dL), 20 (45.5%) cats classified as CKD I (presence of abnormalities in renal morphology and sCr less than 1.6 mg/dL) and ten (22.7%) as CKD II (sCr equal to or greater than 1.6 mg/dL, with or without abnormalities in renal morphology). A large number (40.9%) of apparently healthy cats presented reduction in GFR, which included half of CKD I patients. Point-of-care SDMA was not a good predictor for decreased GFR, nor was it correlated with the variables GFR and sCr. Glomerular filtration rate was significantly lower in CKD I and II groups in comparison with healthy cats, but there was no significant difference between the CKD I and II groups. Multivariate logistic regression model identified three variables that affected the odds of a cat having decreased GFR (< 2.5 mL/min/kg): sCr (OR = 18.3; p = 0.019; CI = 1.6-207.2), and the ultrasonographic findings 'reduced corticomedullary definition' (OR = 19.9; p = 0.022; CI = 1.6-254.0) and 'irregular contour' (OR = 65.6; p = 0.003; CI = 4.2-1038.2). Renal ultrasonography evaluation should always be considered for screening early CKD in apparently healthy cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela da Cruz Schaefer
- Post-Graduate Program in Veterinary Science, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Mariana de Mattos Brose
- Hospital de Clínicas Veterinárias, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - José Ricardo Herrera Becerra
- Post-Graduate Program in Veterinary Science, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Inácio Bernhardt Rovaris
- Post-Graduate Program in Veterinary Science, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | - Bianca Schneck Simão
- Post-Graduate Program in Veterinary Science, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Stella de Faria Valle
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Pathology, College of Veterinary, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Márcio Poletto Ferreira
- Department of Animal Medicine, College of Veterinary, Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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5
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Jamieson A, Carmagnini A, Howard-McCombe J, Doherty S, Hirons A, Dimopoulos E, Lin AT, Allen R, Anderson-Whymark H, Barnett R, Batey C, Beglane F, Bowden W, Bratten J, De Cupere B, Drew E, Foley NM, Fowler T, Fox A, Geigl EM, Gotfredsen AB, Grange T, Griffiths D, Groß D, Haruda A, Hjermind J, Knapp Z, Lebrasseur O, Librado P, Lyons LA, Mainland I, McDonnell C, Muñoz-Fuentes V, Nowak C, O'Connor T, Peters J, Russo IRM, Ryan H, Sheridan A, Sinding MHS, Skoglund P, Swali P, Symmons R, Thomas G, Trolle Jensen TZ, Kitchener AC, Senn H, Lawson D, Driscoll C, Murphy WJ, Beaumont M, Ottoni C, Sykes N, Larson G, Frantz L. Limited historical admixture between European wildcats and domestic cats. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4751-4760.e14. [PMID: 37935117 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
Domestic cats were derived from the Near Eastern wildcat (Felis lybica), after which they dispersed with people into Europe. As they did so, it is possible that they interbred with the indigenous population of European wildcats (Felis silvestris). Gene flow between incoming domestic animals and closely related indigenous wild species has been previously demonstrated in other taxa, including pigs, sheep, goats, bees, chickens, and cattle. In the case of cats, a lack of nuclear, genome-wide data, particularly from Near Eastern wildcats, has made it difficult to either detect or quantify this possibility. To address these issues, we generated 75 ancient mitochondrial genomes, 14 ancient nuclear genomes, and 31 modern nuclear genomes from European and Near Eastern wildcats. Our results demonstrate that despite cohabitating for at least 2,000 years on the European mainland and in Britain, most modern domestic cats possessed less than 10% of their ancestry from European wildcats, and ancient European wildcats possessed little to no ancestry from domestic cats. The antiquity and strength of this reproductive isolation between introduced domestic cats and local wildcats was likely the result of behavioral and ecological differences. Intriguingly, this long-lasting reproductive isolation is currently being eroded in parts of the species' distribution as a result of anthropogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Jamieson
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford, OX1 3TG Oxford, UK; Palaeogenomics Group, Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Alberto Carmagnini
- Palaeogenomics Group, Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80539 Munich, Germany; School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, E1 4NS London, UK
| | - Jo Howard-McCombe
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1TQ Bristol, UK; RZSS WildGenes Laboratory, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, EH12 6TS Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sean Doherty
- Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter, EX4 4QE Exeter, UK
| | - Alexandra Hirons
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford, OX1 3TG Oxford, UK
| | - Evangelos Dimopoulos
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford, OX1 3TG Oxford, UK; Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, CB3 0ES Cambridge, UK
| | - Audrey T Lin
- Department of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Richard Allen
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford, OX1 3TG Oxford, UK
| | - Hugo Anderson-Whymark
- Department of Scottish History and Archaeology, National Museums Scotland, EH1 1JF Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ross Barnett
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, The GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Colleen Batey
- Institute for Northern Studies, University of the Highlands and Islands, KW15 1FL Kirkwall, UK; Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, DH1 3LE Durham, UK
| | - Fiona Beglane
- CERIS, School of Science, Atlantic Technological University, F91 YW50 Sligo, Ireland
| | - Will Bowden
- Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD Nottingham, UK
| | - John Bratten
- Department of Anthropology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA
| | - Bea De Cupere
- Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ellie Drew
- York Archaeological Trust, YO1 7BX York, UK
| | - Nicole M Foley
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Tom Fowler
- Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD Nottingham, UK
| | - Allison Fox
- Manx National Heritage, Manx Museum, IM1 3LY Douglas, Isle of Man
| | - Eva-Maria Geigl
- Université Paris-Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France
| | | | - Thierry Grange
- Université Paris-Cité, CNRS, Institut Jacques Monod, 75013 Paris, France
| | - David Griffiths
- Department for Continuing Education, University of Oxford, OX1 2JA Oxford, UK
| | - Daniel Groß
- Museum Lolland-Falster, 4800 Nykøbing Falster, Denmark
| | - Ashleigh Haruda
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford, OX1 3TG Oxford, UK
| | | | - Zoe Knapp
- Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, RG6 6AB Reading, UK
| | - Ophélie Lebrasseur
- Centre for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse, CNRS UMR 5288, Universite de Toulouse, Universite Paul Sabatier, 31000 Toulouse, France; The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford, OX1 3TG Oxford, UK
| | - Pablo Librado
- Centre for Anthropobiology and Genomics of Toulouse, CNRS UMR 5288, Universite de Toulouse, Universite Paul Sabatier, 31000 Toulouse, France
| | - Leslie A Lyons
- Department of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Ingrid Mainland
- UHI Archaeology Institute, University of the Highlands and Islands, Orkney, Scotland
| | | | - Violeta Muñoz-Fuentes
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SD Cambridge, UK
| | - Carsten Nowak
- Centre for Wildlife Genetics & LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Senckenberg Research Institute, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Terry O'Connor
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, YO10 5DD York, UK
| | - Joris Peters
- SNSB, State Collection of Palaeoanatomy Munich, 85586 Poing, Germany; Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Hannah Ryan
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford, OX1 3TG Oxford, UK
| | - Alison Sheridan
- Department of Scottish History and Archaeology, National Museums Scotland, EH1 1JF Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | - Pooja Swali
- The Francis Crick Institute, NW1 1AT London, UK
| | | | - Gabor Thomas
- Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, RG6 6AB Reading, UK
| | - Theis Zetner Trolle Jensen
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Andrew C Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, EH1 1JF Edinburgh, UK; School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9XP Edinburgh, UK
| | - Helen Senn
- RZSS WildGenes Laboratory, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, EH12 6TS Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel Lawson
- School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, BS8 1UG Bristol, UK
| | | | - William J Murphy
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Mark Beaumont
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, BS8 1TQ Bristol, UK
| | - Claudio Ottoni
- Centre of Molecular Anthropology for Ancient DNA Studies, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Roma, Italy
| | - Naomi Sykes
- Department of Archaeology, University of Exeter, EX4 4QE Exeter, UK
| | - Greger Larson
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford, OX1 3TG Oxford, UK.
| | - Laurent Frantz
- Palaeogenomics Group, Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, 80539 Munich, Germany; School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, E1 4NS London, UK.
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6
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Howard-McCombe J, Jamieson A, Carmagnini A, Russo IRM, Ghazali M, Campbell R, Driscoll C, Murphy WJ, Nowak C, O'Connor T, Tomsett L, Lyons LA, Muñoz-Fuentes V, Bruford MW, Kitchener AC, Larson G, Frantz L, Senn H, Lawson DJ, Beaumont MA. Genetic swamping of the critically endangered Scottish wildcat was recent and accelerated by disease. Curr Biol 2023; 33:4761-4769.e5. [PMID: 37935118 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
The European wildcat population in Scotland is considered critically endangered as a result of hybridization with introduced domestic cats,1,2 though the time frame over which this gene flow has taken place is unknown. Here, using genome data from modern, museum, and ancient samples, we reconstructed the trajectory and dated the decline of the local wildcat population from viable to severely hybridized. We demonstrate that although domestic cats have been present in Britain for over 2,000 years,3 the onset of hybridization was only within the last 70 years. Our analyses reveal that the domestic ancestry present in modern wildcats is markedly over-represented in many parts of the genome, including the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). We hypothesize that introgression provides wildcats with protection against diseases harbored and introduced by domestic cats, and that this selection contributes to maladaptive genetic swamping through linkage drag. Using the case of the Scottish wildcat, we demonstrate the importance of local ancestry estimates to both understand the impacts of hybridization in wild populations and support conservation efforts to mitigate the consequences of anthropogenic and environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo Howard-McCombe
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK; RZSS WildGenes Laboratory, Conservation Department, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh EH12 6TS, UK.
| | - Alexandra Jamieson
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK; Palaeogenomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alberto Carmagnini
- Palaeogenomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany; School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | | | - Muhammad Ghazali
- RZSS WildGenes Laboratory, Conservation Department, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh EH12 6TS, UK
| | - Ruairidh Campbell
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House, Abingdon Road, Tubney OX13 5QL, UK; NatureScot, Great Glen House, Leachkin Road, Inverness IV3 8NW, UK
| | | | - William J Murphy
- Texas A&M University, Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Carsten Nowak
- Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Center for Wildlife Genetics, 63571 Weimar, Germany
| | - Terry O'Connor
- BioArCh, Department of Archaeology, University of York, York YO10 5NG, UK
| | - Louise Tomsett
- Mammal Section, Science Department, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Leslie A Lyons
- Department of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Violeta Muñoz-Fuentes
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge CB10 1SD, UK
| | | | - Andrew C Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, UK; School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Drummond Street, Edinburgh EH8 9XP, UK
| | - Greger Larson
- The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK
| | - Laurent Frantz
- Palaeogenomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany; School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Helen Senn
- RZSS WildGenes Laboratory, Conservation Department, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh EH12 6TS, UK.
| | - Daniel J Lawson
- School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1UG, UK.
| | - Mark A Beaumont
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
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7
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Scandurra A, Di Lucrezia A, D’Aniello B, Pinelli C. Home Sweet Home: The Impact of Lifestyle on a Cat's Approach to Impossible Tasks in the Home Environment. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2679. [PMID: 37627470 PMCID: PMC10451177 DOI: 10.3390/ani13162679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Cat welfare is a topic of growing interest in the scientific literature. Although previous studies have focused on the effects of living style (i.e., indoor/outdoor) on cat welfare, there has been a noticeable dearth of analysis regarding the impact of lifestyle on cats' inclination and mode of communication with humans. Our research aimed to analyze the possible effect of lifestyle (e.g., living indoors only or indoor/outdoor) on cat-human communication. The cats were tested using the impossible task paradigm test, which consists of some solvable trials in which the subject learns to obtain a reward from an apparatus, followed by an impossible trial through blocking the apparatus. This procedure triggers a violation of expectations and is considered a useful tool for assessing both the decision-making process and the tendency to engage in social behaviors towards humans. A specific ethogram was followed to record the behavioral responses of the cats during the unsolvable trial. Our results show the effects of lifestyle and age on domestic cats, providing valuable insights into the factors that influence their social behaviors. Cats that can roam freely outdoors spent less time interacting with the apparatus compared to indoor-only cats. Additionally, roaming cats showed stress behaviors sooner following the expectancy of violation compared to indoor cats. The lifestyle of cats can influence their problem-solving approach while not affecting their willingness to interact with humans or their overall welfare. Future studies on this topic can be useful for improving the welfare of domestic cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Scandurra
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.D.L.); (B.D.)
| | - Alfredo Di Lucrezia
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.D.L.); (B.D.)
| | - Biagio D’Aniello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy; (A.D.L.); (B.D.)
| | - Claudia Pinelli
- Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 81100 Caserta, Italy;
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8
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Brozou A, Fuller BT, De Cupere B, Marrast A, Monchot H, Peters J, Van de Vijver K, Lambert O, Mannino MA, Ottoni C, Van Neer W. A dietary perspective of cat-human interactions in two medieval harbors in Iran and Oman revealed through stable isotope analysis. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12316. [PMID: 37516781 PMCID: PMC10387063 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-39417-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Cats are hypercarnivorous, opportunistic animals that have adjusted to anthropogenic environments since the Neolithic period. Through humans, either by direct feeding and/or scavenging on food scraps, the diet of cats has been enriched with animals that they cannot kill themselves (e.g., large mammals, fish). Here, we conducted carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio analysis to reconstruct the diet of medieval cats and investigate cat-human interactions in two medieval harbor sites (Qalhât, Oman and Siraf, Iran). The analysis included 28 cat individuals and 100 associated marine and terrestrial faunal samples pertaining to > 30 taxa. The isotopic results indicate a high marine protein-based diet for the cats from Qalhât and a mixed marine-terrestrial (C4) diet for the cats from Siraf. Cats at these sites most likely scavenged on both human food scraps and refuse related to fishing activities, with differences in the two sites most likely associated with the availability of marine resources and/or the living conditions of the cats. By shedding light on the dietary habits of cats from two medieval harbors in the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, this study illustrates the potential of stable isotope analysis in reconstructing human-cat interactions in the past.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Brozou
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
| | - Benjamin T Fuller
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, UMR 5563, CNRS, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées 14, 31400, Toulouse, France
| | - Bea De Cupere
- Operational Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Anaïs Marrast
- UMR AASPE 7209, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CP 56, 43 Rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Hervé Monchot
- CNRS UMR 8167, Orient & Méditerranée, 27 Rue Paul Bert, 94200, Ivry-Sur-Seine, France
| | - Joris Peters
- ArchaeoBioCenter and Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research, and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Kaulbachstr. 37, 80539, Munich, Germany
- SNSB, State Collection of Palaeoanatomy Munich, Karolinenplatz 2a, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Katrien Van de Vijver
- Operational Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Lambert
- Operational Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marcello A Mannino
- Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, Aarhus University, Moesgård Allé 20, 8270, Højbjerg, Denmark
| | - Claudio Ottoni
- Department of Biology, University of Rome "Tor Vergata", Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy.
| | - Wim Van Neer
- Operational Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Vautierstraat 29, 1000, Brussels, Belgium
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9
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d'Ingeo S, Siniscalchi M, Straziota V, Ventriglia G, Sasso R, Quaranta A. Relationship between asymmetric nostril use and human emotional odours in cats. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10982. [PMID: 37414814 PMCID: PMC10326042 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38167-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Cat social behaviour and cognition has received a growing interest during the last decades. Recent studies reported that cats efficiently engage in interspecific communication with humans and suggest that cats are sensitive to human emotional visual and auditory cues. To date, there is no evidence on the social and informative role of human emotional odours, which may affect human-cat communication. In this study, we presented cats with human odours collected in different emotional contexts (fear, happiness, physical stress and neutral) and evaluated the animals' behavioural responses. We found that "fear" odours elicited higher stress levels than "physical stress" and "neutral", suggesting that cats perceived the valence of the information conveyed by "fear" olfactory signals and regulate their behaviour accordingly. Moreover, the prevalent use of the right nostril (right hemisphere activation) with the increase of stress levels, particularly in response to "fear" odours, provides first evidence of lateralized emotional functions of olfactory pathways in cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serenella d'Ingeo
- Animal Physiology and Behaviour Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121, Bari, Italy.
| | - Marcello Siniscalchi
- Animal Physiology and Behaviour Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121, Bari, Italy
| | - Valeria Straziota
- Animal Physiology and Behaviour Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121, Bari, Italy
| | - Gianluca Ventriglia
- Animal Physiology and Behaviour Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121, Bari, Italy
| | - Raffaella Sasso
- Animal Physiology and Behaviour Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121, Bari, Italy
| | - Angelo Quaranta
- Animal Physiology and Behaviour Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70121, Bari, Italy
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10
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Martínez RAS, Pinky PD, Harlan BA, Brewer GJ. GTP energy dependence of endocytosis and autophagy in the aging brain and Alzheimer's disease. GeroScience 2023; 45:757-780. [PMID: 36622562 PMCID: PMC9886713 DOI: 10.1007/s11357-022-00717-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased interest in the aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related impairments in autophagy in the brain raise important questions about regulation and treatment. Since many steps in endocytosis and autophagy depend on GTPases, new measures of cellular GTP levels are needed to evaluate energy regulation in aging and AD. The recent development of ratiometric GTP sensors (GEVALS) and findings that GTP levels are not homogenous inside cells raise new issues of regulation of GTPases by the local availability of GTP. In this review, we highlight the metabolism of GTP in relation to the Rab GTPases involved in formation of early endosomes, late endosomes, and lysosomal transport to execute the autophagic degradation of damaged cargo. Specific GTPases control macroautophagy (mitophagy), microautophagy, and chaperone-mediated autophagy (CMA). By inference, local GTP levels would control autophagy, if not in excess. Additional levels of control are imposed by the redox state of the cell, including thioredoxin involvement. Throughout this review, we emphasize the age-related changes that could contribute to deficits in GTP and AD. We conclude with prospects for boosting GTP levels and reversing age-related oxidative redox shift to restore autophagy. Therefore, GTP levels could regulate the numerous GTPases involved in endocytosis, autophagy, and vesicular trafficking. In aging, metabolic adaptation to a sedentary lifestyle could impair mitochondrial function generating less GTP and redox energy for healthy management of amyloid and tau proteostasis, synaptic function, and inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Priyanka D. Pinky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Benjamin A. Harlan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
| | - Gregory J. Brewer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
- Center for Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
- MIND Institute, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 USA
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11
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Serum antimüllerian hormone concentrations in female cats. Relation with ovarian remnant syndrome, ovarian cysts and gonadectomy status. Theriogenology 2023; 200:106-113. [PMID: 36805247 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to reveal (1) the determination of the serum antimüllerian hormone concentrations in cats with ovarian remnant syndrome and ovarian cyst, (2) the effectiveness of the serum antimüllerian hormone concentrations in detecting gonadectomy status, and (3) ovarian expression of the antimüllerian hormone in the ovarian cysts and ovarian remnant tissue. For this purpose, a total of 31 domestic cats older than 1 year, including ORS (n = 9), OC (n = 3), spayed (n = 8), and intact (n = 11), were used in the study. Serum and intrafollicular AMH concentrations were determined by the electrochemiluminescence immunoassay, and expression of the AMH was determined by the immunohistochemical method. The serum AMH concentration in the ORS group was 1.49 ± 1.24 ng/ml (0.10-3.63 ng/ml) whereas it was 1.78 ± 0.92 ng/ml (0.8-2.63 ng/ml) in the OC group. AMH concentration in the intrafollicular fluid was determined as 0.023 ng/ml in a cat with an ovarian cyst. While the serum AMH concentration was below 0.01 ng/ml in spayed cats, it was 5.80 ± 3.30 ng/ml (1.88-11.86 ng/ml) in the intact cats. There was a significant difference between the spayed and intact groups in terms of serum AMH concentration (p < 0.05). Moreover, in cats with ovarian cyst and ovarian remnant syndrome, no difference was found between the groups in terms of serum AMH concentration (p > 0.05). No difference was found between the ovarian remnant syndrome and intact cats in terms of serum AMH concentration (p > 0.05). In immunohistochemical staining, ovarian cysts were found to be negative for AMH while a moderate (+2) AMH positivity was observed in other follicles. Furthermore, in cats with ovarian remnant syndrome, severe (+3) AMH positivity was observed. As a result, it was determined that gonadectomy status can be accurately diagnosed by the AMH measurement. Ovarian remnant syndrome cannot be diagnosed accurately by AMH measurement. In addition, it was found that AMH did not seem to play a role in the pathogenesis of ovarian cysts in cats.
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12
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Platani M, Sokefun O, Bassil E, Apidianakis Y. Genetic engineering and genome editing in plants, animals and humans: Facts and myths. Gene 2023; 856:147141. [PMID: 36574935 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.147141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Human history is inextricably linked to the introduction of desirable heritable traits in plants and animals. Selective breeding (SB) predates our historical period and has been practiced since the advent of agriculture and farming more than ten thousand years ago. Since the 1970s, methods of direct plant and animal genome manipulation are constantly being developed. These are collectively described as "genetic engineering" (GE). Plant GE aims to improve nutritional value, insect resistance and weed control. Animal GE has focused on livestock improvement and disease control. GE applications also involve medical improvements intended to treat human disease. The scientific consensus built around marketed products of GE organisms (GEOs) is usually well established, noting significant benefits and low risks. GEOs are exhaustively scrutinized in the EU and many non-EU countries for their effects on human health and the environment, but scrutiny should be equally applied to all previously untested organisms derived directly from nature or through selective breeding. In fact, there is no evidence to suggest that natural or selectively bred plants and animals are in principle safer to humans than GEOs. Natural and selectively bred strains evolve over time via genetic mutations that can be as risky to humans and the environment as the mutations found in GEOs. Thus, previously untested plant and animal strains aimed for marketing should be proven useful or harmful to humans only upon comparative testing, regardless of their origin. Highlighting the scientific consensus declaring significant benefits and rather manageable risks provided by equitably accessed GEOs, can mitigate negative predispositions by policy makers and the public. Accordingly, we provide an overview of the underlying technologies and the scientific consensus to help resolve popular myths about the safety and usefulness of GEOs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Platani
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Owolabi Sokefun
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Elias Bassil
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA
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13
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Cats Did Not Change Their Problem-Solving Behaviours after Human Demonstrations. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13060984. [PMID: 36978526 PMCID: PMC10044084 DOI: 10.3390/ani13060984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans learn by observing the behaviour of others, which can lead to more efficient problem-solving than by trial-and-error learning. Numerous studies have shown that animals, other than humans, are also capable of social learning. Dogs, as humans’ closest companion animals, can learn to obtain rewards following behavioural demonstrations by humans. However, it is not known whether cats, who also live with humans, can learn how to solve problems by observing human behaviours. Three experiments were used to investigate whether cats could change their behaviour and gain rewards efficiently by observing a human demonstrating how to obtain food. In Experiment 1, a human demonstrated how to open a transparent drawer and take out the reward inside, but cats did not significantly follow the same method as the human. In Experiment 2a, a transparent tube device was used to make the operation easier for cats. However, cats were not influenced by the human behaviour. As the devices used in these experiments were transparent, meaning that the cats could see the food inside directly, they might have required strong inhibitory control. Therefore, in Experiment 2b the tube device was made opaque, and cats again observed the human demonstration. Nevertheless, the cats were not influenced by the human’s behaviour. The results of these experiments indicate a lack of social learning, including imitation, from human behaviours in cats, at least in these experimental settings with food rewards. Other than their inherent ability, cats’ biological characteristics and the experimental context may have contributed towards the negative results.
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14
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Velli E, Caniglia R, Mattucci F. Phylogenetic History and Phylogeographic Patterns of the European Wildcat ( Felis silvestris) Populations. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13050953. [PMID: 36899811 PMCID: PMC10000227 DOI: 10.3390/ani13050953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Disentangling phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns is fundamental to reconstruct the evolutionary histories of taxa and assess their actual conservation status. Therefore, in this study, for the first time, the most exhaustive biogeographic history of European wildcat (Felis silvestris) populations was reconstructed by typing 430 European wildcats, 213 domestic cats, and 72 putative admixed individuals, collected across the entire species' distribution range, at a highly diagnostic portion of the mitochondrial ND5 gene. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses identified two main ND5 lineages (D and W) roughly associated with domestic and wild polymorphisms. Lineage D included all domestic cats, 83.3% of putative admixed individuals, and also 41.4% of wildcats; these latter mostly showed haplotypes belonging to sub-clade Ia, that diverged about 37,700 years ago, long pre-dating any evidence for cat domestication. Lineage W included all the remaining wildcats and putative admixed individuals, spatially clustered into four main geographic groups, which started to diverge about 64,200 years ago, corresponding to (i) the isolated Scottish population, (ii) the Iberian population, (iii) a South-Eastern European cluster, and (iv) a Central European cluster. Our results suggest that the last Pleistocene glacial isolation and subsequent re-expansion from Mediterranean and extra-Mediterranean glacial refugia were pivotal drivers in shaping the extant European wildcat phylogenetic and phylogeographic patterns, which were further modeled by both historical natural gene flow among wild lineages and more recent wild x domestic anthropogenic hybridization, as confirmed by the finding of F. catus/lybica shared haplotypes. The reconstructed evolutionary histories and the wild ancestry contents detected in this study could be used to identify adequate Conservation Units within European wildcat populations and help to design appropriate long-term management actions.
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15
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Examination of Shape Variation of the Skull in British Shorthair, Scottish Fold, and Van Cats. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13040614. [PMID: 36830403 PMCID: PMC9951682 DOI: 10.3390/ani13040614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A variety of skull shapes are frequently used for discrimination between animal species, breeds, and sexes. In this study, skulls of three different breeds of cats were examined by the geometric morphometric method, with the aim of revealing skull shape differences. For this purpose, 27 cats (6 British Shorthair, 7 Scottish Fold, and 14 Van cats) were used. The skulls of cats were modeled by computed tomography. Geometric morphometrics was applied using dorsal (8 landmarks, 63 semilandmarks) and lateral (8 landmarks, 63 semilandmarks) skull projections on these models. Centroid size differences between the breeds were statistically insignificant. However, the differences in shape were statistically significant for both the dorsal view and lateral view. Shape variation was less in the British Shorthair than in other breeds. Shape differences generally occurred around the orbit. In the skull of Scottish Folds, the orbit was situated more caudally than in other breeds. The British Shorthair had the largest orbital ring. In dorsal view, the Scottish Fold had the largest orbital diameter. The orbital ring of Van cats was smallest in both dorsal and lateral views. In the canonical variate analysis, it was seen that the breeds were separated from each other. The shape difference in the skull between different cat breeds could be revealed by geometric morphometrics. The results of this study provide useful information for taxonomy.
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16
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Badenes‐Pérez FR. The impacts of free‐roaming cats cannot be generalized and their role in rodent management should not be overlooked. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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17
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Nilson SM, Gandolfi B, Grahn RA, Kurushima JD, Lipinski MJ, Randi E, Waly NE, Driscoll C, Murua Escobar H, Schuster RK, Maruyama S, Labarthe N, Chomel BB, Ghosh SK, Ozpinar H, Rah HC, Millán J, Mendes-de-Almeida F, Levy JK, Heitz E, Scherk MA, Alves PC, Decker JE, Lyons LA. Genetics of randomly bred cats support the cradle of cat domestication being in the Near East. Heredity (Edinb) 2022; 129:346-355. [PMID: 36319737 PMCID: PMC9708682 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-022-00568-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Cat domestication likely initiated as a symbiotic relationship between wildcats (Felis silvestris subspecies) and the peoples of developing agrarian societies in the Fertile Crescent. As humans transitioned from hunter-gatherers to farmers ~12,000 years ago, bold wildcats likely capitalized on increased prey density (i.e., rodents). Humans benefited from the cats' predation on these vermin. To refine the site(s) of cat domestication, over 1000 random-bred cats of primarily Eurasian descent were genotyped for single-nucleotide variants and short tandem repeats. The overall cat population structure suggested a single worldwide population with significant isolation by the distance of peripheral subpopulations. The cat population heterozygosity decreased as genetic distance from the proposed cat progenitor's (F.s. lybica) natural habitat increased. Domestic cat origins are focused in the eastern Mediterranean Basin, spreading to nearby islands, and southernly via the Levantine coast into the Nile Valley. Cat population diversity supports the migration patterns of humans and other symbiotic species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Nilson
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Barbara Gandolfi
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Robert A Grahn
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jennifer D Kurushima
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Monika J Lipinski
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Ettore Randi
- Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7H, 9220, Aalborg Øst, Denmark
| | - Nashwa E Waly
- Department of Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assuit University, 71526, Assiut, Egypt
| | | | - Hugo Murua Escobar
- Clinic for Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care, University Medical Center Rostock, 18055, Rostock, Germany
| | - Rolf K Schuster
- Central Veterinary Research Laboratory, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Soichi Maruyama
- Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Norma Labarthe
- Programa de Bioética, Ética Aplicada e Saúde Coletiva, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21040-360, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária - Clínica e Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rua Vital Brazil Filho 64, Niterói, RJ, 24230-340, Brazil
| | - Bruno B Chomel
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | | | - Haydar Ozpinar
- Graduate School of Health Sciences, Istanbul Gedik University, 34876, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Hyung-Chul Rah
- Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, 28644, South Korea
| | - Javier Millán
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Miguel Servet 177, 50013, Zaragoza, Spain
- Fundación ARAID, Avda. de Ranillas, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Flavya Mendes-de-Almeida
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Veterinária - Clínica e Reprodução Animal, Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rua Vital Brazil Filho 64, Niterói, RJ, 24230-340, Brazil
| | - Julie K Levy
- Maddie's Shelter Medicine Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA
| | | | | | - Paulo C Alves
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos/InBIO Associate Lab & Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Campus e Vairão, 4485-661, Vila do Conde, Portugal
- Wildlife Biology Program, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Jared E Decker
- Division of Animal Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
- Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
| | - Leslie A Lyons
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA.
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18
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Uccheddu S, Miklósi Á, Gintner S, Gácsi M. Comparing Pears to Apples: Unlike Dogs, Cats Need Habituation before Lab Tests. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12213046. [PMID: 36359170 PMCID: PMC9657355 DOI: 10.3390/ani12213046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Comparative studies can help us better understand our family pets’ social and cognitive behaviours and gain more insights in the evolution of some human abilities. However, the comparison of the behaviours of cats and dogs in a standard laboratory environment is not without challenges. Though recently they play a similar role in modern Western societies as pets, both their evolutionary history and individual experiences are different. We tested the spontaneous behaviour of companion cats and dogs in the same novel laboratory environment, and if needed, we tried to habituate them in the presence of their owners and an unfamiliar experimenter. To pass the habituation test, subjects were expected to play with the experimenter or accept food from them. All dogs passed the test on the first occasion, while almost 60% of the cats needed habituation and some could not reach the criteria even after three habituation sessions. More experienced cats (which had the opportunity to meet strangers and explore unfamiliar places) were not more successful, in fact, younger cats passed more easily. We found marked differences between dogs and cats in all behavioural variables; compared to dogs, cats spent more time crouching and close to their box, while less time exploring or close to the owner. Our findings are important not only regarding the test methods of cats and the interpretation of their data collected in the laboratory so far but, in a more general sense, on developing future comparative experiments. Abstract Research on the socio-cognitive skills of different species often benefit from comparative experiments, however, the ecology of the species and development of the individuals may differently determine how they react to the same test situation. In this study, our aims were twofold: to observe and compare the spontaneous behaviour of companion cats and dogs in the same novel environment, and to habituate them (if needed) to the novel environment in the presence of their owners and an unfamiliar experimenter. The behaviour of 62 family cats, 31 experienced (which had the opportunity to meet strangers and explore unfamiliar places) and 31 inexperienced cats, and 27 family dogs was compared in an unfamiliar room. The subjects’ behaviour was coded during the first five minutes in the presence of two passive persons, their owners, and an unfamiliar experimenter. Then, based on a set of rules, first the owner, and then the experimenter tried to initiate interactions with the subjects and the subjects’ willingness to interact was evaluated. To pass the habituation test, subjects were expected to play with the experimenter or accept food from them. All dogs passed the test on the first occasion, while almost 60% of the cats failed. The cats’ experience did not play a significant role, in fact, younger cats passed more easily. We found marked differences between dogs and cats in all behavioural variables; compared to dogs, cats spent more time crouching and close to their box, while less time exploring or close to the owner. We did not find a difference in the cats’ behaviour based on their experience. Our results support the hypothesis that unlike dogs, cats need extensive habituation in a novel environment. This could partially be explained by the difference in the ecology and/or domestication process of the species, although developmental effects cannot be excluded. Our findings have fundamental consequences not only for the considerations of the testability of cats and on the interpretation of their data collected in the laboratory, but in a more general sense on developing comparative experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Uccheddu
- MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sarolt Gintner
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Gácsi
- MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Hungary
- Correspondence:
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19
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Zhu S, Chen Z, Hu S, Wang W, Cao P, Liu F, Dai Q, Feng X, Yang R, Ping W, Fu Q. Ancient DNA traces a Chinese 5400-year-old cat specimen as leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). J Genet Genomics 2022; 49:1076-1079. [PMID: 35921988 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2022.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shilun Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; Sino-Danish Center, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zehui Chen
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Songmei Hu
- Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710054, China
| | - Weilin Wang
- School of History and Culture, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Peng Cao
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Qingyan Dai
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Xiaotian Feng
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Ruowei Yang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Wanjing Ping
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China
| | - Qiaomei Fu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100044, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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20
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A unique Toxoplasma gondii haplotype accompanied the global expansion of cats. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5778. [PMID: 36182919 PMCID: PMC9526699 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33556-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a cyst-forming apicomplexan parasite of virtually all warm-blooded species, with all true cats (Felidae) as definitive hosts. It is the etiologic agent of toxoplasmosis, a disease causing substantial public health burden worldwide. Few intercontinental clonal lineages represent the large majority of isolates worldwide. Little is known about the evolutionary forces driving the success of these lineages, the timing and the mechanisms of their global dispersal. In this study, we analyse a set of 156 genomes and we provide estimates of T. gondii mutation rate and generation time. We elucidate how the evolution of T. gondii populations is intimately linked to the major events that have punctuated the recent history of cats. We show that a unique haplotype, whose length represents only 0.16% of the whole T. gondii genome, is common to all intercontinental lineages and hybrid populations derived from these lineages. This haplotype has accompanied wildcats (Felis silvestris) during their emergence from the wild to domestic settlements, their dispersal in the Old World, and their expansion in the last five centuries to the Americas. The selection of this haplotype is most parsimoniously explained by its role in sexual reproduction of T. gondii in domestic cats.
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21
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Şenol E, Gündemir O, Duro S, Szara T, Demiraslan Y, Karadağ H. A pilot study: Can calcaneus radiographic image be used to determine sex and breed in cats? Vet Med Sci 2022; 8:1855-1861. [PMID: 35921402 PMCID: PMC9514496 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined whether radiographic images measurements of the calcaneus in cats are determinative of sex and breed. For this purpose, radiographic images of 70 cats (37 male and 33 females) of different ages (from one to 18 years) and different breeds (41 mix-breed, 18 Scottish Fold and 11 British Shorthair cats) without orthopaedic problems were used. Right tarsal joint radiographs of these orthopaedically healthy cats were taken. Four linear measurements and two angle values of the calcaneus were obtained from the radiographic images. The MANOVA result showed that the most determining factor between the three groups was the greatest width (p value = 0.001). Calcaneal body length, calcaneal greatest length and calcaneal shortest depth were higher in mix-breed cats. Calcaneal tuber length was higher in Scottish Fold cats. The only statistically significant difference between Scottish Fold and British Shorthair was in the calcaneal tuber length (p value = 0.04). In the comparison made between the sexes regardless of species, the linear measurements in males were higher than in females. It was determined that these parameters are statistically significant in terms of sex differentiation in cats. Dorsal and plantar calcaneal angles are not sex determinants in cats. The effect of age on other measurements was analysed by correlation test. However, the effect of age on the measurements was not statistically significant. Mix-breed cats were examined in four groups according to their colour (grey, black-white, yellow, tri-colour). No statistically significant difference was found between calcaneal measurements of cats with different skin colour genotypes. In this study, calcaneus measurements were both determinative between breeds and sexes in cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esra Şenol
- Institute of Graduate StudiesIstanbul University‐CerrahpasaIstanbulTurkey
| | - Ozan Gündemir
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of AnatomyIstanbul University‐CerrahpasaIstanbulTurkey
| | - Sokol Duro
- Faculty of Veterinary MedicineAgricultural University of TiranaTiranaAlbania
| | - Tomasz Szara
- Department of Morphological SciencesInstitute of Veterinary MedicineWarsaw University of Life Sciences WarsawWarszawaPoland
| | - Yasin Demiraslan
- Faculty of Veterinary MedicineDepartment of AnatomyBurdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy UniversityBurdurTurkey
| | - Hüseyin Karadağ
- Faculty of DentistryDepartment of Basic SciencesIstanbul Gelisim UniversityIstanbulTurkey
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22
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Vitale K, Windschnurer I, Pongrácz P. Introducing the new upcoming Special Issue on the behavior of cats in Applied Animal Behaviour Science. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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23
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Lepczyk CA, Duffy DC, Bird DM, Calver M, Cherkassky D, Cherkassky L, Dickman CR, Hunter D, Jessup D, Longcore T, Loss SR, Loyd KAT, Marra PP, Marzluff JM, Noss RF, Simberloff D, Sizemore GC, Temple SA, van Heezik Y. A science-based policy for managing free-roaming cats. Biol Invasions 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-022-02888-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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24
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Stable isotopes unveil one millennium of domestic cat paleoecology in Europe. Sci Rep 2022; 12:12775. [PMID: 35896571 PMCID: PMC9329303 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-16969-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The domestic cat is the world's most popular pet and one of the most detrimental predators in terrestrial ecosystems. Effective protection of wildlife biodiversity demands detailed tracking of cat trophic ecology, and stable isotopes serve as a powerful proxy in dietary studies. However, a variable diet can make an isotopic pattern unreadable in opportunistic predators. To evaluate the usefulness of the isotopic method in cat ecology, we measured C and N isotope ratios in hundreds of archaeological cat bones. We determined trends in cat trophic paleoecology in northern Europe by exploiting population-scale patterns in animals from diverse locations. Our dataset shows a high variability of isotopic signals related to the socio-economic and/or geomorphological context. This points toward regularities in isotopic patterns across past cat populations. We provide a generalized guide to interpret the isotopic ecology of cats, emphasizing that regional isotopic baselines have a major impact on the isotopic signal.
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25
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Wang RJ, Raveendran M, Harris RA, Murphy WJ, Lyons LA, Rogers J, Hahn MW. De novo Mutations in Domestic Cat are Consistent with an Effect of Reproductive Longevity on Both the Rate and Spectrum of Mutations. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msac147. [PMID: 35771663 PMCID: PMC9290555 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The mutation rate is a fundamental evolutionary parameter with direct and appreciable effects on the health and function of individuals. Here, we examine this important parameter in the domestic cat, a beloved companion animal as well as a valuable biomedical model. We estimate a mutation rate of 0.86 × 10-8 per bp per generation for the domestic cat (at an average parental age of 3.8 years). We find evidence for a significant paternal age effect, with more mutations transmitted by older sires. Our analyses suggest that the cat and the human have accrued similar numbers of mutations in the germline before reaching sexual maturity. The per-generation mutation rate in the cat is 28% lower than what has been observed in humans, but is consistent with the shorter generation time in the cat. Using a model of reproductive longevity, which takes into account differences in the reproductive age and time to sexual maturity, we are able to explain much of the difference in per-generation rates between species. We further apply our reproductive longevity model in a novel analysis of mutation spectra and find that the spectrum for the cat resembles the human mutation spectrum at a younger age of reproduction. Together, these results implicate changes in life-history as a driver of mutation rate evolution between species. As the first direct observation of the paternal age effect outside of rodents and primates, our results also suggest a phenomenon that may be universal among mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Wang
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Muthuswamy Raveendran
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - R Alan Harris
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - William J Murphy
- Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Leslie A Lyons
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Jeffrey Rogers
- Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Matthew W Hahn
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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26
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Natoli E, Litchfield C, Pontier D. Coexistence between Humans and ‘Misunderstood’ Domestic Cats in the Anthropocene: Exploring Behavioural Plasticity as a Gatekeeper of Evolution. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12131717. [PMID: 35804616 PMCID: PMC9264925 DOI: 10.3390/ani12131717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Welfare and management decisions for unowned free-ranging cats in urban environments should no longer be based on knowledge about behavioural ecology of solitary cats living and breeding in more natural ‘wild’ environments. We provide evidence that urban free-ranging domestic cats in the Anthropocene have responded to rapidly changing environments, such as abundance of food and higher population densities of conspecifics by adapting their behaviour (behavioural plasticity—the ability of a genotype (individual) to express different behaviours according to its environment) and social organisation to living in complex social groups, especially those living in colonies. Urban free-ranging cats are now more social, as demonstrated by different breeding patterns, lower infanticide, more frequent affiliative interactions in general, and different spatial groupings. We argue that this knowledge should be disseminated widely, and inform future research and strategies used to manage free-ranging cats across environments. Understanding behavioural plasticity and other recently evolved traits of domestic cats may lead to management strategies that maximise health and welfare of cats, wildlife, and humans—otherwise domestic cat behaviour may be ‘misunderstood’. Importantly, interdisciplinary research using expertise from biological and social sciences, and engaging human communities, should evaluate these management strategies to ensure they maintain optimal welfare of free-ranging domestic cats while preserving biodiversity and protecting wildcats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Natoli
- Canile Sovrazonale, ASL Roma 3 (Local Health Unit Rome 3), 00148 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Carla Litchfield
- Conservation Psychology and Applied Animal Behaviour Research Group, Justice and Society (Discipline of Psychology), University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia;
| | - Dominique Pontier
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et de Biologie Évolutive, UMR CNRS5558, Université C. Bernard Lyon 1, 43 Bd du 11 nov. 1018, 69622 Villeurbanne, France;
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27
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Beckman AK, Richey BMS, Rosenthal GG. Behavioral responses of wild animals to anthropogenic change: insights from domestication. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03205-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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28
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Higgs S. Zoonotic Diseases and Nontraditional Pets: Keeping People and Pets Healthy. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2022; 22:301-302. [PMID: 35724317 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2022.29004.hig] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Higgs
- Editor-in-Chief, Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases.,Director, Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI), Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
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29
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Wang Y, Li D, Dunzhu P, Liu W, Feng L, Jin K. Recognition of Coat Pattern Variation and Broken Tail Phenomenon in the Asiatic Golden Cat (Catopuma temminckii). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12111420. [PMID: 35681884 PMCID: PMC9179876 DOI: 10.3390/ani12111420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary A variety of new survey technologies are continuously being developed and used in wildlife monitoring. Rapidly advancing and widely used camera trap survey technology has helped to capture data and gain insights into many species. The Eastern Himalayas is a global biodiversity hotspot with exceptionally high species diversity. The Asian golden cat is widely distributed in the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Nature Reserve. It inhabits seasonal rain forests from 100 m above sea level to the Rhododendron forest up to 3500 m above sea level. Coat pattern variation in the Asian golden cat is particularly prominent in this region. The common color type is the most widely distributed, followed by nine other types. We found 10 coat pattern variations and two coat patterns with a broken tail made up 0.32% of independent photos taken during a long-term nine-year monitoring program. The variation in coat patterns is indicative of the geography of the region. Environmental conditions regulate and activate the genetic diversity of Asian golden cat phenotypes. This study further strengthened the understanding of the basic knowledge of golden cat color types and lays the foundation for exploring the diversity of golden cat color types at the molecular level. Abstract The Asian golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) is the most varied wild cat species in terms of coat color. Understanding coat pattern variation will help to elucidate the mechanisms behind it as well as its relationship with the environment. We conducted long-term (2013–2021) monitoring of Asian golden cats in the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon National Nature Reserve, Tibet, using camera traps at 283 points over 89,991 camera days. A total of 620 cat photos were recorded, including 344 (55.48%) with recognizable color patterns. Vector graphics of the coat patterns were extracted from the field image data, which revealed 10 color types in the ratio common: cinnamon: reddish-brown long hair: ocelot: blackening: melanistic: gray: brown: brown short hair: pure black = 123:76:57:35:22:8:7:7:5:4. The genes for coat pattern variation are widespread in the Asian golden cat population and are relatively stable. The increase in population size intraspecific competition has led to the tail break phenotype in individual cats. The gene encoding for tail breakage in Asian golden cats remains unknown. This study provides basic information for understanding faunal diversity in the Eastern Himalayan biodiversity hotspot and serves as a reference for studies on the formation mechanisms for feline color pattern diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Wang
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China;
- Research Institute of Natural Protected Area, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China
- Forestry Inventory and Planning Institute of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa 850000, China; (D.L.); (P.D.); (W.L.)
| | - Dajiang Li
- Forestry Inventory and Planning Institute of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa 850000, China; (D.L.); (P.D.); (W.L.)
| | - Pubu Dunzhu
- Forestry Inventory and Planning Institute of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa 850000, China; (D.L.); (P.D.); (W.L.)
| | - Wulin Liu
- Forestry Inventory and Planning Institute of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa 850000, China; (D.L.); (P.D.); (W.L.)
| | - Limin Feng
- Institute of Ecology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China;
| | - Kun Jin
- Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China;
- Research Institute of Natural Protected Area, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Conservation of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-130-5181-0951
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30
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Azadian A, Gunn-Moore DA. Age-related cognitive impairments in domestic cats naturally infected with feline immunodeficiency virus. Vet Rec 2022; 191:e1683. [PMID: 35512238 DOI: 10.1002/vetr.1683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Age-related dementia has been documented in domestic cats; however, its interaction with naturally occurring feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infection has been investigated minimally. METHODS Visuospatial working memory (VSWM) and problem-solving (PS) ability were evaluated in FIV-infected (n = 37) and control cats (n = 39) using two cognitive tasks tested serially, which assessed the ability of cats to remember the location of a baited container after a set delay, then evaluated the capability of the cats to manipulate the container to obtain the food within a time limit. Cats were categorized using 7 years of age as a cut-off to determine age-related differences. The relationship between cognitive performance and FIV viral load was investigated using real-time PCR cycle threshold (Ct ) values. RESULTS Age significantly affected VSWM and PS ability. Younger cats had better VSWM performance and PS ability compared to older cats with the same FIV status. There was no difference between younger FIV-positive and negative cats in either part of the task. While older FIV-positive cats had significantly worse VSWM than older FIV-negative cats, no differences were found in PS ability. Additionally, Ct values predicted VSWM but not PS ability. CONCLUSION Age-related cognitive impairments and FIV infection appear synergetic, causing greater cognitive deficits in older FIV-infected cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amin Azadian
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food System, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Danièlle A Gunn-Moore
- Division of Companion Animals, Hospital for Small Animals, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK.,Division of Infection & Immunity, The Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
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31
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Takagi S, Saito A, Arahori M, Chijiiwa H, Koyasu H, Nagasawa M, Kikusui T, Fujita K, Kuroshima H. Cats learn the names of their friend cats in their daily lives. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6155. [PMID: 35418204 PMCID: PMC9007945 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10261-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans communicate with each other through language, which enables us talk about things beyond time and space. Do non-human animals learn to associate human speech with specific objects in everyday life? We examined whether cats matched familiar cats' names and faces (Exp.1) and human family members' names and faces (Exp.2). Cats were presented with a photo of the familiar cat's face on a laptop monitor after hearing the same cat's name or another cat's name called by the subject cat's owner (Exp.1) or an experimenter (Exp.2). Half of the trials were in a congruent condition where the name and face matched, and half were in an incongruent (mismatch) condition. Results of Exp.1 showed that household cats paid attention to the monitor for longer in the incongruent condition, suggesting an expectancy violation effect; however, café cats did not. In Exp.2, cats living in larger human families were found to look at the monitor for increasingly longer durations in the incongruent condition. Furthermore, this tendency was stronger among cats that had lived with their human family for a longer time, although we could not rule out an effect of age. This study provides evidence that cats link a companion's name and corresponding face without explicit training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saho Takagi
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan.
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan.
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 5-3-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0083, Japan.
| | - Atsuko Saito
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Sophia University, 7-1, Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8554, Japan
| | - Minori Arahori
- Research and Development Section, Anicom Speciality Medical Institute Inc., 2-6-3 Chojamachi 5F, Yokohamashi-Nakaku, Kanagawaken, 231-0033, Japan
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, 2-24 Tanaka-Sekiden-cho, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8203, Japan
| | - Hitomi Chijiiwa
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hikari Koyasu
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Miho Nagasawa
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Takefumi Kikusui
- Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Azabu University, 1-17-71, Fuchinobe, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Kazuo Fujita
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hika Kuroshima
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshida-honmachi, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan
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32
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Brackett NF, Davis BW, Adli M, Pomés A, Chapman MD. Evolutionary Biology and Gene Editing of Cat Allergen, Fel d 1. CRISPR J 2022; 5:213-223. [PMID: 35343817 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2021.0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Allergy to domestic cat affects up to 15% of the population, and sensitization to cat allergen is associated with asthma. Despite the pervasiveness of cat allergic disease, current treatments have limited impact. Here, we present a bioinformatics analysis of the major cat allergen, Fel d 1, and demonstrate proof of principle for CRISPR gene editing of the allergen. Sequence and structural analyses of Fel d 1 from 50 domestic cats identified conserved coding regions in genes CH1 and CH2 suitable for CRISPR editing. Comparative analyses of Fel d 1 and orthologous sequences from eight exotic felid species determined relatively low-sequence identities for CH1 and CH2, and implied that the allergen may be nonessential for cats, given the apparent lack of evolutionary conservation. In vitro knockouts of domestic cat Fel d 1 using CRISPR-Cas9 yielded editing efficiencies of up to 55% and found no evidence of editing at predicted potential off-target sites. Taken together, our data indicate that Fel d 1 is both a rational and viable candidate for gene deletion, which may profoundly benefit cat allergy sufferers by removing the major allergen at the source.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian W Davis
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Mazhar Adli
- Robert Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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33
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Conspecific and Human Sociality in the Domestic Cat: Consideration of Proximate Mechanisms, Human Selection and Implications for Cat Welfare. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12030298. [PMID: 35158622 PMCID: PMC8833732 DOI: 10.3390/ani12030298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Sociality can be broadly defined as the ability and tendency of individuals to reside in social groups with either conspecifics and/or other species. More specifically, sociability relates to the ability and tendency of individuals to display affiliative behaviours in such contexts. The domestic cat is one of the most globally popular companion animals and occupies a diverse range of lifestyles. Despite an arguably short period of domestication from an asocial progenitor, the domestic cat demonstrates an impressive capacity for both intra- and interspecific sociality and sociability. At the same time, however, large populations of domestic cats maintain various degrees of behavioural and reproductive autonomy and are capable of occupying solitary lifestyles away from humans and/or conspecifics. Within social groups, individuals can also vary in their tendency to engage in both affiliative and agonistic interactions, and this interindividual variation is present within free-living populations as well as those managed in confined environments by humans. Considerable scientific enquiry has focused on cats’ social behaviour towards humans (and conspecifics to a much lesser extent) in this latter context. Ontogeny and human selection, in addition to a range of proximate factors including social and environmental parameters and individual cat and human characteristics, have been highlighted as important moderators of cats’ sociability. Such factors may have important consequences regarding individuals’ adaptability to the diverse range of lifestyles that they may occupy. Where limitations to individuals’ social capacities do not enable sufficient adaption, compromises to their wellbeing may occur. This is most pertinent for cats managed by humans, given that the physical and social parameters of the cats’ environment are primarily dictated by people, but that positive human-selection for traits that enhance cats’ adaptability to such lifestyles appears to be limited. However, limitations in the availability and quality of evidence and equivocal findings may impede the current understanding of the role of certain factors in relation to cat sociability and associations with cat wellbeing, although such literature gaps also present important opportunities for further study. This review aims to summarise what is currently known about the various factors that may influence domestic cats’ sociality and sociability towards both humans and conspecifics, with a predominant focus on cats managed by humans in confined environments. Current limitations, knowledge gaps, and implications for cat wellbeing are also discussed.
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34
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Lesch R, Kitchener AC, Hantke G, Kotrschal K, Fitch WT. Cranial volume and palate length of cats, Felis spp., under domestication, hybridization and in wild populations. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:210477. [PMID: 35116138 PMCID: PMC8790375 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Reduced brain size, compared with wild individuals, is argued to be a key characteristic of domesticated mammal species, and often cited as a key component of a putative 'domestication syndrome'. However, brain size comparisons are often based on old, inaccessible literature and in some cases drew comparisons between domestic animals and wild species that are no longer thought to represent the true progenitor species of the domestic species in question. Here we replicate studies on cranial volumes in domestic cats that were published in the 1960s and 1970s, comparing wildcats, domestic cats and their hybrids. Our data indicate that domestic cats indeed, have smaller cranial volumes (implying smaller brains) relative to both European wildcats (Felis silvestris) and the wild ancestors of domestic cats, the African wildcats (Felis lybica), verifying older results. We further found that hybrids of domestic cats and European wildcats have cranial volumes that cluster between those of the two parent species. Apart from replicating these studies, we also present new data on palate length in Felis cat skulls, showing that domestic cat palates are shorter than those of European wildcats but longer than those of African wildcats. Our data are relevant to current discussions of the causes and consequences of the 'domestication syndrome' in domesticated mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaela Lesch
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University for Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Georg Hantke
- Department Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kurt Kotrschal
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - W. Tecumseh Fitch
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Bouma EMC, Reijgwart ML, Dijkstra A. Family Member, Best Friend, Child or 'Just' a Pet, Owners' Relationship Perceptions and Consequences for Their Cats. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:193. [PMID: 35010452 PMCID: PMC8750854 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Describing the relationship with one's cat in human terms might reflect an underlying anthropomorphic view of the relationship which might be associated with an owner's behavior towards their cat and the cat's living environment. Owners self-categorized the relationship with their cat as either a 'member of the family', 'as a child', 'best friend', or 'a pet animal'. The extent to which owner- and cat-related factors influence these four relationship descriptions are examined in survey data of approximately 1800 cat owners. Differences in outdoor access, care during absence of the owner, and access to the bedroom are examined between the four relationship perceptions. The owner's age and household composition, ideas about their cat's equality, support, and dependency, and whether their cat is a pedigree were significantly associated with relationship description and explained 46% of the variance. Owners who perceive their cat as a child or best friend see their cat as loyal, empathetic, equal to family, and dependent on them for love and care. Their cats are less often left in the care of others, are allowed more often in the bedroom and have less often (unrestricted) outdoor access. Moreover, cats perceived as children are more likely to live in a multi-cat household. Our results provide insight in the factors that are related to different (anthropomorphic) perceptions of the human-cat relationship and how perceptions relate to the living environment of cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther M. C. Bouma
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Groningen, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands;
| | | | - Arie Dijkstra
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Groningen, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands;
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Silvestre-Ferreira A, Pastor J. Wild Felids Blood Group System. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:3533. [PMID: 34944308 PMCID: PMC8698159 DOI: 10.3390/ani11123533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild felids and domestic cats share the AB blood group. However, there have been few studies regarding the characterization and prevalence of the different blood types in wild animals. The erythrocyte membrane glycolipids of the wild cats correspond to the major disialoganglioside patterns observed in domestic cats. Like in domestic cats, type A blood seems to be the most common, although wild felid species seem to exhibit one single blood type. Of the species studied, the wild domestic cats, and the Panthera and ocelot lineages, all had type A blood; the Puma lineage showed almost exclusively type B blood. The prevalence of wild felids blood types show that there seems to be variation between species, but not within species, and no evidence of geographical variation has yet been found, showing apparently no genetic variability. The presence of alloantibodies has also been demonstrated, so the risk of life-threatening transfusion reactions due to mismatched transfusions and neonatal isoerythrolysis is a possibility. Like in other species, the recognition of wild felids blood groups is clinically relevant, as it can also be important in establishing phylogenetic relationships within the Felidae family. We will review the current knowledge on this topic and give insights into the wild felids blood groups potential for zoo transfusion medicine and phylogenetic studies in order to help support reintroduction projects and to preserve genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Silvestre-Ferreira
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
- Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Josep Pastor
- Department de Medicinia i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universititat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain;
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von Thaden A, Cocchiararo B, Mueller SA, Reiners TE, Reinert K, Tuchscherer I, Janke A, Nowak C. Informing conservation strategies with museum genomics: Long-term effects of past anthropogenic persecution on the elusive European wildcat. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17932-17951. [PMID: 35003648 PMCID: PMC8717334 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Like many carnivore species, European wildcats (Felis silvestris) have suffered severe anthropogenic population declines in the past, resulting in a strong population bottleneck at the beginning of the 20th century. In Germany, the species has managed to survive its near extinction in small isolated areas and is currently recolonizing former habitats owing to legal protection and concerted conservation efforts. Here, we SNP-genotyped and mtDNA-sequenced 56 historical and 650 contemporary samples to assess the impact of massive persecution on genetic diversity, population structure, and hybridization dynamics of wildcats. Spatiotemporal analyses suggest that the presumed postglacial differentiation between two genetically distinct metapopulations in Germany is in fact the result of the anthropogenic bottleneck followed by re-expansion from few secluded refugia. We found that, despite the bottleneck, populations experienced no severe genetic erosion, nor suffered from elevated inbreeding or showed signs of increased hybridization with domestic cats. Our findings have significant implications for current wildcat conservation strategies, as the data analyses show that the two presently recognized wildcat population clusters should be treated as a single conservation unit. Although current populations appear under no imminent threat from genetic factors, fostering connectivity through the implementation of forest corridors will facilitate the preservation of genetic diversity and promote long-term viability. The present study documents how museum collections can be used as essential resource for assessing long-term anthropogenic effects on natural populations, for example, regarding population structure and the delineation of appropriate conservation units, potentially informing todays' species conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina von Thaden
- Conservation Genetics GroupSenckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum FrankfurtGelnhausenGermany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution & DiversityJohann Wolfgang Goethe‐University, BiologicumFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Berardino Cocchiararo
- Conservation Genetics GroupSenckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum FrankfurtGelnhausenGermany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG)Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Sarah Ashley Mueller
- Conservation Genetics GroupSenckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum FrankfurtGelnhausenGermany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution & DiversityJohann Wolfgang Goethe‐University, BiologicumFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Tobias Erik Reiners
- Conservation Genetics GroupSenckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum FrankfurtGelnhausenGermany
| | - Katharina Reinert
- Conservation Genetics GroupSenckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum FrankfurtGelnhausenGermany
- Department of Physical GeographyJohann Wolfgang Goethe‐UniversityFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Iris Tuchscherer
- Conservation Genetics GroupSenckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum FrankfurtGelnhausenGermany
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution & DiversityJohann Wolfgang Goethe‐University, BiologicumFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Axel Janke
- Institute of Ecology, Evolution & DiversityJohann Wolfgang Goethe‐University, BiologicumFrankfurt am MainGermany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG)Frankfurt am MainGermany
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research CentreSenckenberg Gesellschaft für NaturforschungFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Carsten Nowak
- Conservation Genetics GroupSenckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum FrankfurtGelnhausenGermany
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG)Frankfurt am MainGermany
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Causes of Death in Stray Cat Colonies of Milan: A Five-Year Report. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113308. [PMID: 34828042 PMCID: PMC8614475 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Cats have been closely linked to humans for thousands of years. Nowadays, stray cats are frequently hosted in colonies, protected, and enrolled in programs of trap–neuter-–return to control population increase. Italian public veterinary services work in collaboration with voluntary colony caretakers and are responsible for neutering and monitoring the health of colony cats. This retrospective study, conducted by the Anatomical Pathology Unit of the Teaching Veterinary Hospital of Milan in collaboration with the public veterinary services, was undertaken because of the limited information available regarding causes of death of colony cats. The study reports on and statistically analyzes the causes of death of colony cats in the city of Milan as assessed by necropsy. Inflammatory processes including those consistent with the most relevant feline infectious diseases were most common in kittens and young cats. Trauma was more frequent in adult cats, while organ failure was the most common cause of death in aged cats. Considering the possible animal welfare issues deriving from colony cats, awareness of the most common causes of death and collaboration between university veterinary pathologists and public veterinary services represent an essential contribution to health monitoring of colony cats and can assist in the rapid detection of possible emerging animal welfare concerns. Abstract The presence of cats in urban environments has a long history. In Italy, stray cats are protected by national and regional laws, and programs of neutering and reintroduction to colonies are ongoing. Colony cats have been widely studied from a behavioral perspective, while surveys regarding their causes of death are limited, although they may provide relevant information related to public health and cat welfare. This retrospective study provides pathological descriptions and statistical analyses of the causes of death of 186 cats from 100 colonies in the city of Milan. Inflammatory processes represent the primary cause of death (37.7%) and include common feline infectious diseases such as feline panleukopenia (67.5%), particularly in kittens, and feline infectious peritonitis (32.5%), most common in adult cats. Trauma was found to be a common cause of death of young/adult cats (14%) with a generally good body condition, while severe parasitosis was less represented (2.6%). The death of old cats was statistically associated with organ failure (24.7%), particularly renal failure, and tumors (11.8%). Knowledge of the most common causes of death of colony cats could make an important contribution to the health monitoring of these cats and sanitary control of their habitats and provide information on possible related emerging animal welfare concerns.
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Spanish validation of the Fe-BARQ questionnaire: A replication study. J Vet Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2021.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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de Groot M, Anderson H, Bauer H, Bauguil C, Bellone RR, Brugidou R, Buckley RM, Dovč P, Forman O, Grahn RA, Kock L, Longeri M, Mouysset‐Geniez S, Qiu J, Sofronidis G, van der Goor LHP, Lyons LA. Standardization of a SNP panel for parentage verification and identification in the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus). Anim Genet 2021; 52:675-682. [PMID: 34143521 PMCID: PMC8519126 DOI: 10.1111/age.13100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) is a valued companion animal throughout the world. Over 60 different cat breeds are accepted for competition by the cat fancy registries in different countries. Genetic markers, including short tandem repeats and SNPs, are available to evaluate and manage levels of inbreeding and genetic diversity, population and breed structure relationships, and individual identification for forensic and registration purposes. The International Society of Animal Genetics (ISAG) hosts the Applied Genetics in Companion Animals Workshop, which supports the standardization of genetic marker panels and genotyping for the identification of cats via comparison testing. SNP panels have been in development for many species, including the domestic cat. An ISAG approved core panel of SNPs for use in cat identification and parentage analyses is presented. SNPs (n = 121) were evaluated by different university-based and commercial laboratories using 20 DNA samples as part of the ISAG comparison testing procedures. Different SNP genotyping technologies were examined, including DNA arrays, genotyping-by-sequencing and mass spectroscopy, to select a robust and efficient panel of 101 SNPs as the ISAG core panel for cats. The SNPs are distributed across all chromosomes including two on the X chromosome and an XY pseudo-autosomal sexing marker (zinc-finger XY; ZFXY). A population study demonstrated that the markers have an average polymorphic information content of 0.354 and a power of exclusion greater than 0.9999. The SNP panel should keep testing affordable while also allowing for the development of additional panels to monitor health, phenotypic traits, hybrid cats and highly inbred cats.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. de Groot
- MolGenTraverse 2VeenendaalUtrecht3905NLThe Netherlands
| | | | - H. Bauer
- Laboklin GMBH & Co. KGBad Kissingen97688Germany
| | | | - R. R. Bellone
- Veterinary Genetics LaboratorySchool of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCA95616USA
- Population Health and ReproductionSchool of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCA95616USA
| | | | - R. M. Buckley
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and SurgeryCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMO65211USA
| | - P. Dovč
- Department of Animal ScienceBiotechnical FacultyUniversity of LjubljanaLjubljana1000Slovenia
| | | | - R. A. Grahn
- Veterinary Genetics LaboratorySchool of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of CaliforniaDavisCA95616USA
| | - L. Kock
- Neogen GenomicsLincolnNE68504USA
| | - M. Longeri
- Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of MilanMilan20133Italy
| | | | - J. Qiu
- Neogen GenomicsLincolnNE68504USA
| | - G. Sofronidis
- Orivet Genetic Pet CareSuite St. KildaMelbourneVic.3182Australia
| | | | - L. A. Lyons
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and SurgeryCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of MissouriColumbiaMO65211USA
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Ancient Faunal History Revealed by Interdisciplinary Biomolecular Approaches. DIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/d13080370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Starting four decades ago, studies have examined the ecology and evolutionary dynamics of populations and species using short mitochondrial DNA fragments and stable isotopes. Through technological and analytical advances, the methods and biomolecules at our disposal have increased significantly to now include lipids, whole genomes, proteomes, and even epigenomes. At an unprecedented resolution, the study of ancient biomolecules has made it possible for us to disentangle the complex processes that shaped the ancient faunal diversity across millennia, with the potential to aid in implicating probable causes of species extinction and how humans impacted the genetics and ecology of wild and domestic species. However, even now, few studies explore interdisciplinary biomolecular approaches to reveal ancient faunal diversity dynamics in relation to environmental and anthropogenic impact. This review will approach how biomolecules have been implemented in a broad variety of topics and species, from the extinct Pleistocene megafauna to ancient wild and domestic stocks, as well as how their future use has the potential to offer an enhanced understanding of drivers of past faunal diversity on Earth.
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Shajid Pyari M, Uccheddu S, Lenkei R, Pongrácz P. Inexperienced but still interested – Indoor-only cats are more inclined for predatory play than cats with outdoor access. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Benítez-Burraco A, Chekalin E, Bruskin S, Tatarinova T, Morozova I. Recent selection of candidate genes for mammal domestication in Europeans and language change in Europe: a hypothesis. Ann Hum Biol 2021; 48:313-320. [PMID: 34241552 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2021.1936634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM Human evolution resulted from changes in our biology, behaviour, and culture. One source of these changes has been hypothesised to be our self-domestication (that is, the development in humans of features commonly found in domesticated strains of mammals, seemingly as a result of selection for reduced aggression). Signals of domestication, notably brain size reduction, have increased in recent times. METHODS In this paper, we compare whole-genome data between the Late Neolithic/Bronze Age individuals and modern Europeans. RESULTS We show that genes associated with mammal domestication and with neural crest development and function are significantly differently enriched in nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms between these two groups. CONCLUSION We hypothesise that these changes might account for the increased features of self-domestication in modern humans and, ultimately, for subtle recent changes in human cognition and behaviour, including language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature, Faculty of Philology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Evgeny Chekalin
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergey Bruskin
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Tatiana Tatarinova
- Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Biology, University of La Verne, La Verne, CA, USA.,A. A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Moscow, Russia.,Department of Fundamental Biology and Biotechnology, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Irina Morozova
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Howard-McCombe J, Ward D, Kitchener AC, Lawson D, Senn HV, Beaumont M. On the use of genome-wide data to model and date the time of anthropogenic hybridisation: An example from the Scottish wildcat. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:3688-3702. [PMID: 34042240 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
While hybridisation has long been recognised as an important natural phenomenon in evolution, the conservation of taxa subject to introgressive hybridisation from domesticated forms is a subject of intense debate. Hybridisation of Scottish wildcats and domestic cats is a good example in this regard. Here, we developed a modelling framework to determine the timescale of introgression using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). Applying the model to ddRAD-seq data from 129 individuals, genotyped at 6546 loci, we show that a population of wildcats genetically distant from domestic cats is still present in Scotland. These individuals were found almost exclusively within the captive breeding programme. Most wild-living cats sampled were introgressed to some extent. The demographic model predicts high levels of gene-flow between domestic cats and Scottish wildcats (13% migrants per generation) over a short timeframe, the posterior mean for the onset of hybridisation (T1 ) was 3.3 generations (~10 years) before present. Although the model had limited power to detect signals of ancient admixture, we found evidence that significant recent hybridisation may have occurred subsequent to the founding of the captive breeding population (T2 ). The model consistently predicts T1 after T2 , estimated here to be 19.3 generations (~60 years) ago, highlighting the importance of this population as a resource for conservation management. Additionally, we evaluate the effectiveness of current methods to classify hybrids. We show that an optimised 35 SNP panel is a better predictor of the ddRAD-based hybrid score in comparison with a morphological method.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel Ward
- School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Andrew C Kitchener
- Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel Lawson
- School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Helen V Senn
- RZSS WildGenes Laboratory, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mark Beaumont
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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Westekemper K, Tiesmeyer A, Steyer K, Nowak C, Signer J, Balkenhol N. Do all roads lead to resistance? State road density is the main impediment to gene flow in a flagship species inhabiting a severely fragmented anthropogenic landscape. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:8528-8541. [PMID: 34257914 PMCID: PMC8258205 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Connectivity conservation is ideally based on empirical information on how landscape heterogeneity influences species-specific movement and gene flow. Here, we present the first large-scale evaluation of landscape impacts on genetic connectivity in the European wildcat (Felis silvestris), a flagship and umbrella species for connectivity conservation across Europe. LOCATION The study was carried out in the core area of the distributional range of wildcats in Germany, covering about 186,000 km2 of a densely populated and highly fragmented landscape. METHODS We used data of 975 wildcats genotyped at 14 microsatellites and an individual-based landscape genetic framework to assess the importance of twelve landscape variables for explaining observed genetic connectivity. For this, we optimized landscape resistance surfaces for all variables and compared their relative impacts using multiple regression on distance matrices and commonality analysis. RESULTS Genetic connectivity was best explained by a synergistic combination of six landscape variables and isolation by distance. Of these variables, road density had by far the strongest individual impact followed by synergistic effects of agricultural lands and settlements. Subsequent analyses involving different road types revealed that the strong effect of road density was largely due to state roads, while highways and federal roads had a much smaller, and county roads only a negligible impact. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our results highlight that landscape-wide genetic connectivity in wildcats across Germany is strongly shaped by the density of roads and in particular state roads, with higher densities providing larger resistance to successful dispersal. These findings have important implications for conservation planning, as measures to mitigate fragmentation effects of roads (e.g., over- or underpasses) often focus on large, federally managed transportation infrastructures. While these major roads exert local barrier effects, other road types can be more influential on overall connectivity, as they are more abundant and more widespread across the landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Annika Tiesmeyer
- Conservation Genetics SectionSenckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum FrankfurtGelnhausenGermany
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionJohann Wolfgang Goethe‐University, BiologicumFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Katharina Steyer
- Conservation Genetics SectionSenckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum FrankfurtGelnhausenGermany
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionJohann Wolfgang Goethe‐University, BiologicumFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Carsten Nowak
- Conservation Genetics SectionSenckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum FrankfurtGelnhausenGermany
| | | | - Niko Balkenhol
- Wildlife SciencesUniversity of GoettingenGoettingenGermany
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Filacorda S, Comin A, Franchini M, Frangini L, Pesaro S, Pezzin EN, Prandi A. Cortisol in Hair: Do Habitat Fragmentation and Competition with Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) Measurably Affect the Long-Term Physiological Response in European Wildcat (Felis silvestris)? ANN ZOOL FENN 2021. [DOI: 10.5735/086.059.0101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Filacorda
- Department of Agri-Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio 2/A, IT-33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Antonella Comin
- Department of Agri-Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio 2/A, IT-33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Marcello Franchini
- Department of Agri-Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio 2/A, IT-33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Frangini
- Department of Agri-Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio 2/A, IT-33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Stefano Pesaro
- Department of Agri-Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio 2/A, IT-33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Eva Nilanthi Pezzin
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via Ugo Bassi 58/B, IT-35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Alberto Prandi
- Department of Agri-Food, Environmental and Animal Sciences, University of Udine, Via Sondrio 2/A, IT-33100 Udine, Italy
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Ozgunay S, Murray JK, Rowe E, Gee NR, Bartholomeus M, Casey R. Cognitive and Composite Behavioural Welfare Assessments of Pet Cats between the Ages of 9-22 Months, Living in Single and Multi-Cat Households. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11061793. [PMID: 34208456 PMCID: PMC8234069 DOI: 10.3390/ani11061793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Although agonistic interactions between cats are often regarded clinically as a source of stress, there is currently limited research evidence regarding the welfare impact of keeping multiple cats as pets. The aim of this study was to compare welfare indicators between cats living in single and multi-cat households, as well as between cats living in multi-cat households where agonistic behaviour was/was not reported by owners. Indicators included a spatial judgment bias task (JBT) and the cat stress score (CSS). CSSs were higher in cats from single compared with multi-cat households. CSSs were lower for cats that showed a more ‘pessimistic’ response in the JBT, suggesting these cats appeared to be less stressed. JBT results did not vary depending on the presence of, or reports of agonistic behaviours between, cohabiting cats. These data suggest that mood states (as measured by the JBT) were not impacted by the social groupings investigated, and that cats from single-cat households showed more signs of stress (as measured by CSS) than those in multi-cat households. Alternative explanations cannot be discounted, particularly due to the narrow sample population and broad scope of husbandry conditions that were unaccounted for. Further research is warranted to explore the extent to which variables that could not be controlled may have confounded findings. Abstract Although agonistic interactions between cats are often regarded clinically as a source of stress, there is currently limited research evidence regarding the welfare impact of keeping multiple cats as pets. The aim of this study was to compare welfare indicators between cats living in domestic single and multi-cat households, as well as between multi-cat households where agonistic behaviour was/was not reported by owners. Indicators included a spatial judgment bias task (JBT), where longer latencies to ambiguous probes are interpreted as being related to a more ‘pessimistic’ mood state, and the cat stress score (CSS), where high scores are indicative of high stress levels. Of 128 focal cats between the ages of 9–22 months, 94 were from multi-cat households, 126 had useable CSS data and 42 had JBT results suitable for analysis. CSSs were significantly lower for cats showing a more ‘pessimistic’ response in the JBT. It is possible that the cats that appeared to be the most relaxed may have been showing inactivity relating to negative affective states and/or were the least active/food motivated, and therefore slower in the JBT. CSSs were significantly higher in cats from single compared with multi-cat households, and did not vary with reports of agonistic interactions in multi-cat households. JBT results did not vary depending on the presence of, or reports of agonistic behaviours between, cohabiting cats. These data suggest that cats from single-cat households may be more likely to show signs of acute stress than those in multi-cat households. Alternative explanations are possible. For example, lower CSSs in the multi-cat group may reflect ‘relief’ effects resulting from separating cats for the test period, or inactivity relating to negative affective states. Due to the narrow sample population and broad scope of husbandry conditions, the potential for confounding variables limits the degree by which results can be used to inform causation of the relationships identified. Further research is warranted to replicate this work and explore potential confounders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sezan Ozgunay
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK; (J.K.M.); (E.R.); (R.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Jane K. Murray
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK; (J.K.M.); (E.R.); (R.C.)
| | - Elizabeth Rowe
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK; (J.K.M.); (E.R.); (R.C.)
| | - Nancy R. Gee
- Center for Human-Animal Interaction, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA;
| | | | - Rachel Casey
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Langford, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK; (J.K.M.); (E.R.); (R.C.)
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48
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Yu H, Xing YT, Meng H, He B, Li WJ, Qi XZ, Zhao JY, Zhuang Y, Xu X, Yamaguchi N, Driscoll CA, O'Brien SJ, Luo SJ. Genomic evidence for the Chinese mountain cat as a wildcat conspecific ( Felis silvestris bieti) and its introgression to domestic cats. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/26/eabg0221. [PMID: 34162544 PMCID: PMC8221621 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau endemic Chinese mountain cat has a controversial taxonomic status, whether it is a true species or a wildcat (Felis silvestris) subspecies and whether it has contributed to cat (F. s. catus) domestication in East Asia. Here, we sampled F. silvestris lineages across China and sequenced 51 nuclear genomes, 55 mitogenomes, and multilocus regions from 270 modern or museum specimens. Genome-wide analyses classified the Chinese mountain cat as a wildcat conspecific F. s. bieti, which was not involved in cat domestication of China, thus supporting a single domestication origin arising from the African wildcat (F. s. lybica). A complex hybridization scenario including ancient introgression from the Asiatic wildcat (F. s. ornata) to F. s. bieti, and contemporary gene flow between F. s. bieti and sympatric domestic cats that are likely recent Plateau arrivals, raises the prospect of disrupted wildcat genetic integrity, an issue with profound conservation implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Yu
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences (CLS), Peking-Tsinghua-NIBS (PTN) Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yue-Ting Xing
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences (CLS), Peking-Tsinghua-NIBS (PTN) Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Hao Meng
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences (CLS), Peking-Tsinghua-NIBS (PTN) Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Bing He
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Beijing 100037, China
| | - Wen-Jing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota and Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Museum of Biology, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai 810008, China
| | - Xin-Zhang Qi
- Tibetan Plateau Wildlife Zoo, Xining, Qinghai 810001, China
| | - Jian-You Zhao
- Gansu Endangered Animals Protection Center, Wuwei, Gansu 733000, China
| | - Yan Zhuang
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences (CLS), Peking-Tsinghua-NIBS (PTN) Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiao Xu
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences (CLS), Peking-Tsinghua-NIBS (PTN) Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Nobuyuki Yamaguchi
- Institute of Tropical Biodiversity and Sustainable Development, University Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia
| | | | - Stephen J O'Brien
- Laboratory of Genomic Diversity, Center for Computer Technologies, ITMO University, St. Petersburg 197101, Russia
- Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33004, USA
| | - Shu-Jin Luo
- The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences (CLS), Peking-Tsinghua-NIBS (PTN) Program, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
- Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, Halmos College of Arts and Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33004, USA
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49
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Venning KRW, Saltré F, Bradshaw CJA. Predicting targets and costs for feral‐cat reduction on large islands using stochastic population models. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn R. W. Venning
- Global Ecology Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University Tarndanya (Adelaide) South Australia Australia
| | - Frédérik Saltré
- Global Ecology Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University Tarndanya (Adelaide) South Australia Australia
| | - Corey J. A. Bradshaw
- Global Ecology Partuyarta Ngadluku Wardli Kuu, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University Tarndanya (Adelaide) South Australia Australia
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50
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Lehmann L, Stefen C. Study of non-metric characters of the skull to determine the epigenetic variability in populations of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris) and domestic cats (Felis catus). Mamm Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-021-00119-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractWe studied the variability of non-metric cranial traits, mainly foramina, of European wildcats (Felis silvestris silvestris) and domestic cats (Felis catus) from Germany based on 28 non-metric traits in 211 skulls. The domestic cats were grouped together as a statistical population. The wildcats were divided into two populations: Harz and Hesse, which were further subdivided, based on traffic infrastructure, natural landscape, and in the Harz, on time period. Epigenetic variability, epigenetic distance and the fluctuating asymmetry were calculated to assess genetic variability, possible depressions and population stability. The epigenetic variability Iev of the wildcat groups ranged from 0.27 (Hesse II) to 0.40 (Harz I). The difference in Iev between all specimens from Harz and Hesse respectively was less (Iev = 0.37 Harz and 0.31 Hesse). Compared to other studies these values are not assumed to indicate genetic depression. The epigenetic distance between the wildcat samples is 0.0774 overall, and in each case higher between sub-groups of the Harz and Hesse than between groups within these regions, respectively. The significant epigenetic distance between Harz and Hesse might indicate—at least past formerly—restricted connectivity between these regions. The fluctuating asymmetry for wildcats in total is 11.74% and in the sub-groups it ranges from 8.47 to 16.14%. These values are below 20% are at the lower range known from populations of other mammal species. The use of fluctuating asymmetry had also been discussed critically in its usefulness to assess viability of populations.
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