The first known domestic cat which now ended in a ship away from the coast of Florida 466 years ago in the United States finds a new study.
Was a ship Part of a Spanish colonial campaign Under the leadership of the winner Triston de Luna Y Arelano, who was traveling from Mexico under the Spanish Crown. In September 1559, A storm in Pensacla Bay Many of the 11 ships were ruined, which were anchored near the new Spanish settlement of Santa Maria de Ochus. Researchers found one of these debris, which is known as Emanuel Point IIIn 2006This ship holds the remains of an adult and a teen domestic cat (Felice Catus), According to the new study, which was published on 14 April in the journal American antiquity,
“Our current understanding is that all Domestic cats come from ancestors in the Middle EastTherefore, he was to be introduced to the US by the people, “the study co-writer said Martin VelkarAn anthropological archaeologist who specializes in Zoo Archology at the University of Arizona.
Archaeologists had earlier found that the domestic cat remained in other early Spanish settlements, which now included the indigenous Tano city An Bas Hallon in Haiti, where Chistofer Columbus landed in 1492. But Columbus never made continental in North America. “Spanish campaign in Florida was actually the first opportunities for domestic cats that reach America today,” Velker told Live Science in an email.
Connected: Pet cats reached China through Silk Road 1,400 years ago, get ancient DNA study.
Velkar stated that the team analyzed cat bones using several techniques, including zuraocological (from ship to modern cats compared to bones from bones), isotopic (survey of various chemical signature) and genetic (study of ancient DNA) analysis. The results confirmed that bones were related to domestic cats and provided insight into adult cat’s diet along with their cat -like ancestors.
“What was interesting, is that our cat was not eating mice on the ship, but for sailors we expected, the diet was more,” study the co-author John BrettonA humanist from the University of West Florida told Live Science in an email. This indicates that the sailors fed the adult cat either because the mice did not give enough food, or out of affection, the researchers wrote in the study.
Braton said, “It was interesting to think about a pet of cat or Spanish sailors,”. ,
Genetic analysis shows that both adults and teenage cats descend from European relatives. However, it is impossible to determine how cats found on the ship, an idea is that they rode when anchored or docked in Mexico before sailing for Florida.
However, they could be deliberately riding, given that cats helped control the population of rats and mice, which could be found in food supply and transmit diseases, Velkar said.
It would not be surprising that if the cats were mousters, because “until their arrival in the new world, the primary role of the cats in many communities had insect control, something that they were well -suited and required very little supervision from their human coaches,” researchers wrote in the study. According to the study, the ancient Romans introduced cats in Europe for this reason.
According to the study, one of every three American houses today has a pet cat, and more than 600 million domestic cats worldwide.
