Affiliative Felids

[lbaker]

The Association I work for publishes the weekly journal SCIENCE.... the following is from today's issue and I just thought you all might find it interesting:)
EVOLUTION: Affiliative Felids

Humans have domesticated fewer than 10 animal species. It remains uncertain whether this small number reflects the rarity of susceptibility or "preadaptation" to domestication on the part of animals, or simply satiation on the part of humans. Cameron-Beaumont et al. investigated the degree of preadaptation among the smaller members of the cat family (Felidae), using tactile behavior (rubbing and licking) toward humans by zoo-bred animals as an indicator. Some lineages (lynx and Asian leopard groups) evinced a disinclination to affiliative behavior, whereas cats in the ocelot lineage were affectionate toward humans--more so, in fact, than domestic cats. It appears that the potential for tameness among felids is not evolutionarily restricted to the domestic cat, but that this relationship with humans was so successful that other human-felid alliances have never been contemplated, or perhaps have been stillborn because of behavioral incompatibilities. -- AMS

[zippy-kat]

That is interesting!

I'm so glad our domestic kitties decided we weren't too terribly bad & came to live with us!

[lbaker]

I guess once we met our domestic kitties it seemed foolish to even try to do better.......... (or so my felines say:rolleyes: ) but then the dogs start laughing at them :p

[zippy-kat]

LOL
;) :D

According to my feline bunch, those dawgs *sigh*... they're extremely over-rated! And Sara, the boxer, agrees--she thinks she's a very large cat!

[lbaker]

...and a cat may look at a King......(where did that come from anyway :confused: and remember the story about how in the cave the cow became domesticated first, then the dog, and finally a cat somehow lured the mother into feeding it because it stopped the child from crying or something by amusing it...something like that..I forget the whole story... cats don't like to tell "tails":D Laurie (oh I am so sorry you won't be joining us at Grapevine, more than you know).

[zippy-kat]

the cat/king sounds vaguely familiar....can't recall much of it at all!!

but I do remember the cave story!!

I, too, am really sorry I won't be joining you guys. I really wanted to go!! What a bummer they changed the dates of the horse show! (It was originally set for this wkend.)

We *may* be going to Maryland this summer...