How Cats Became our Feline Overlords (ft. It’s Okay To Be Smart)

Check out how cats became our favorite little murder machines.
To learn how dogs and humans got together, watch the companion video over at It’s OK To Be Smart: – be sure to subscribe while you’re there!

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If you want to learn more about this topic, here are some keywords to get your googling started:

Puma: The big cat with the largest home range.
Felix silvestris: The wildcat that is the direct ancestor to all modern house cats.
Bastet: Egyptian cat goddess.
Pseudaelurus: A prehistoric cat that is the common ancestor to all modern felines.

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Credits (and handles):
Script Writer: Sarah Keartes
Script Editor: Kate Yoshida (@KateYoshida)

Video Illustrator: Qingyang Chen (@QCvisual)
Video Director: Kate Yoshida (@KateYoshida)
Video Narrator: Joe Hanson (@DrJoeHanson)
With Contributions From: Ever Salazar, Henry Reich, Alex Reich, Peter Reich, David Goldenberg
Music by: Nathaniel Schroeder:

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References:

Hu, Yaowu, et al. “”Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication.”” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111.1 (2014): 116-120.”

Montague, Michael J., et al. “”Comparative analysis of the domestic cat genome reveals genetic signatures underlying feline biology and domestication.”” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 111.48 (2014): 17230-17235.

O’Brien, Stephen J., and Warren E. Johnson. The evolution of cats. Scientific American 297.1 (2007): 68-75.

“The Lion in the Living Room”” – Abigail Tucker (Public library:

Vigne, Jean-Denis, et al. Earliest “Domestic” Cats in China Identified as Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis). PloS one 11.1 (2016): e0147295.

Human-cat burial image provided courtesy of Pr . Jean Guilaine excavations