Home Science The 10,000-year-old story of most ‘white-legged’ domestic cats

The 10,000-year-old story of most ‘white-legged’ domestic cats

0

Most domestic cats have white legs. genetic We can say that there are some reasons.

In fact, this situation is not only seen in domestic cats, but people don’t like cats that look like this. domestication has always been more enthusiastic about it throughout history. Then let’s get into the details of this topic.

The fact that cats have white feet is actually due to a genetic mutation.

The scientific name for this condition is variegation or piebaldism. The reason for this situation in cats; Pigment cells called melanocytes, which give color to the skin, hair, eyes and fur of cats, secrete proteins for stem cell growth. in the KIT gene It is a mutation that occurs as a result of the unexpected distribution.

When this genetic transformation (change) does not occur, cells called melanocytes are evenly distributed. Thus, the cat’s body becomes one color. Because the mutation in the KIT gene prevents these cells from dividing evenly, some areas of the cat’s body, such as the paws, may remain white. Essentially, these mutations are: in pets and wild animals visible.

In fact, the reason the white legs in these animals were so noticeable was because people preferred to tame cats with mutations.

About 10,000 years ago, humans began to domesticate cats. Probably because they think these creatures look more beautiful than others, they call them to themselves. pet as they chose. Leslie Lyons, a professor at the University of Missouri on the subject, said that when people settled in, they needed to protect their grain and waste from other rodents and pests.

Here, according to the researcher, they also domesticated cats. intruder They wanted to expel the species. The professor thinks that people prefer cats because they are easy to care for and because they can eat anything you put in front of them.

For example, Felis silvestris feral cats living in Eurasia and Africa are predators and fight with other predatory species. These creatures must camouflage themselves to survive in the wild, which is why their fur is camouflage. That’s why their paws white is not. Basically, the fact that people do not prefer them as pets may be due to their predation. So, of course, it’s not just the cat; Humans also have domesticated species such as white horses, pigs, cows, and mice.

Whether cats will have white limbs is actually clear when they are still in the embryonic stage.

Felis silvestris

The nerve crown cells that make up the white color first gather on the cat’s back and descend down its body. Thus, this color spreads throughout the body. Depending on the distribution of the cells, the location where the color is collected may change. For example, when these cells spread too far across the front of the body, the cat’s coat becomes a single color. But when cells are not clustered enough on one side a cat with white feet, belly, face or breasts can occur.

Norwegian Forest Cat

Genetic factors are an important factor in the coat color of cats. for example siamese cats Their color is due to the suppression of temperature-induced melanin production (a pigment that is insoluble in water and is usually brownish-yellow, sometimes black in areas where it is too concentrated). Another example: the gene MC1R, which makes cats orange, is more specifically present in the Norwegian forest cat than in other orange cats. Therefore, when this creature grows up, it begins to turn gold. Pretty interesting right? Does your cat have white paws?

Sources: Science Focus, Ungo, Live Science, Cattitude Daily, Love Meow, Natural Science, Patigen

Source: Web Tekno

NO COMMENTS

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Exit mobile version