Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41314212›Full record

ArticleCell genomics2026

The late arrival of domestic cats in China via the Silk Road after 3,500 years of human-leopard cat commensalism.

Yu Han, Songmei Hu, Ke Liu, Xiao Xu, Ziyi Li, Sean Doherty, Alexandra Elizabeth Jamieson, Aurélie Manin, Sofia Granja Martins, Miaomiao Yang and 35 more

Abstract readHistorical Article
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Cell genomics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

45 authors.

Yu HanThe State Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Modulation Research, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Songmei HuInstitute of Cultural Heritage, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China; Shaanxi Academy of Archaeology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710054, China.
Ke LiuThe State Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Modulation Research, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Xiao XuThe State Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Modulation Research, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Ziyi LiArchaeology and Conservation Scientific Research Institute, National Centre for Archaeology, Beijing 100020, China.
Sean DohertyDepartment of Archaeology and History, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QE, UK.
Alexandra Elizabeth JamiesonThe Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK.
Aurélie ManinThe Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK.
Sofia Granja MartinsThe Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK; CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal.
Miaomiao YangShaanxi Academy of Archaeology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710054, China.
Chong YuSchool of Sociology and Anthropology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.
Juan WangDepartment for the History of Science and Scientific Archaeology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
Zhuang WuSchool of History and Culture, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050024, China.
Canping ChenSchool of History and Culture, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050024, China.
Sicheng HanThe State Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Modulation Research, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Daowei LuThe State Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Modulation Research, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Lanhui PengThe State Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Modulation Research, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Xianzhu WuCollege of History and Social Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 401331, China.
Wenquan FanHenan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, Zhengzhou, Henan 450099, China.
Quanfa CaiHenan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, Zhengzhou, Henan 450099, China.
Zongliang CuiAnyang Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, Anyang, Henan 455000, China.
Jing YuanInstitute of Archaeological Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Zihan LiThe Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK; Institute of Archaeology, Museology and Chinese Civilization, Nanjing University (Suzhou Campus), Suzhou, Jiangsu 215163, China.
Yang LiuSchool of Sociology and Anthropology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510275, China.
Zhipeng LiInstitute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
Zhendong LiuInstitute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
Qian MaThe Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK; School of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Jing ShaoShaanxi Academy of Archaeology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710054, China.
Zhouyong SunShaanxi Academy of Archaeology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710054, China.
Fulai XingShaanxi Academy of Archaeology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710054, China.
Wuzhan YangShaanxi Academy of Archaeology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710054, China.
Shugang YangHenan Provincial Institute of Cultural Heritage and Archaeology, Zhengzhou, Henan 450099, China.
Lianjian YueShaanxi Academy of Archaeology, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710054, China.
Pengcheng ZhangYulin Archaeological Exploration Team of Shaanxi Province, Yulin, Shaanxi 719000, China.
Weilin WangSchool of History and Culture, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China.
Huanyuan Zhang-ZhengEnvironmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK.
Yan ZhuangThe State Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Modulation Research, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Xin SunThe State Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Modulation Research, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Yan PanSchool of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Xiaohong WuSchool of Archaeology and Museology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
Laurent A F FrantzThe Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK; Palaeogenomics Group, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Ludwig Maximilian University, 80539 Munich, Germany.
He YuThe State Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Modulation Research, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. Electronic address: yuhe@pku.edu.cn.
Joel M AlvesThe Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK; CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal. Electronic address: joel.alves@arch.ox.ac.uk.
Greger LarsonThe Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, UK. Electronic address: greger.larson@arch.ox.ac.uk.
Shu-Jin LuoThe State Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Modulation Research, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China. Electronic address: luo.shujin@pku.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

To trace the history of human-cat interactions and the arrival of domestic cats (Felis catus) in East Asia, we analyzed 22 small felid bones excavated from 14 archaeological sites across China spanning 5,000 years. Genomic and radiocarbon evidence revealed that commensal leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) appeared in anthropogenic environments at least 5,400 years ago and persisted until 150 CE. After a gap of several centuries, the earliest known domestic cat in China (c. 730 CE), reconstructed as a fully or partially white cat, was identified in Shaanxi during the Tang Dynasty. Genomic analysis combining 130 modern and ancient Eurasian cat specimens suggested an origin of Chinese domestic cats from the Levant and a likely merchant-mediated dispersal via the Silk Road. Commensal leopard cats and domestic cats once independently inhabited ancient human settlements in China but followed divergent sociocultural paths with only domestic cats becoming fully domesticated and globally introduced.

Indexed as

ArchaeologyCatsAnimalsChinaFossilsHistory, AncientHumansPhylogenyancient Chinaancient DNAdomestic catshuman-leopard cat commensalismleopard catsSilk Road

Identifiers

PMID41314212
PMCPMC12926185

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