The domestic cat has proved to be one of the most successful animals on the planet, managing to capitalise on its close relations with humans to colonise every continent except Antarctica.

据证实，被驯化的猫是全球和人类关系最亲密的动物之一，除了南极洲，驯化猫的足迹踏遍世界各地。

Now scientists have discovered that many of today’s Felis silvestris lybica are descended from cats who lived thousands of years ago in Ancient Egypt.

最近科学家发现，今天的非洲野猫大部分是千万年前古埃及猫的后代。

Using genetic analysis, the researchers established that cats were first domesticated in the Near East about 10,000 years ago, probably by farmers because of feline skills in dealing with mice and other rodents that raid grain stores. A complete cat skeleton dated to 7,500BC was found associated with a human burial site on the island of Cyprus. However, it was not until several thousand years later that cats really began the journey that would take them to every corner of the globe.

研究员通过基因分析明确了猫最早被驯化大约在一万年前的近东地区，可能是农民因为猫会抓老鼠和其他侵害粮仓的动物，所以驯养了猫。此前，在塞浦路斯岛人的坟墓处曾发现一架与之相关的完整猫骨架，这副骨架可追溯到公元前7,500年。然而，几千年后，猫才开始席卷全球。

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