January 2014 PMID 24344279

Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication.

Yaowu Hu, Songmei Hu, Weilin Wang, Xiaohong Wu, Fiona B Marshall, Xianglong Chen, Liangliang Hou, Changsui Wang

Mentions

139
Peak: 2 in Sep 2025
across 6 sources since Dec 2013

Extended reach

8,827
potential audience

Total likes

3

Video views

3,036

Mentions per month

Dec 2013 – Nov 2025

Where it's discussed

  • News83 articles
  • Facebook26 posts
  • Blogs18 articles
  • X / Twitter9 posts
  • YouTube2 videos
  • Bluesky1 posts

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions mainly focus on the mutual benefits of cats, such as pest control and their domestication history, with examples like the mention of cats saving crops by killing pests and references to archaeological findings. The tone is inquisitive and mildly defensive, as users debate the interpretation of domestication, reflecting curiosity and some skepticism about human relationships with cats.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions support the idea that cats played a beneficial role in human history, emphasizing their protective and ecological contributions.

InterestModerate interest

The posts show moderate interest by highlighting intriguing facts, such as early domestication and ecological roles, but don't delve deeply into technical details.

EngagementModerate engagement

Participants reference both the article and related facts, indicating a personal engagement with the subject matter, though the discussion remains somewhat surface level.

ImpactModerate impact

The social discussions collectively reinforce the significance of early cat domestication, contributing to a broader understanding of human-animal relationships historically.

Abstract in brief

  • The study discusses early evidence of domesticated cats in China around 5500-5280 years ago, showing that these cats were smaller than wild relatives and likely benefited from human activity, such as scavenging millet-based food.
  • Archaeological findings include cat remains directly dated to this period, along with evidence of human diets rich in millet and the use of ceramic containers to protect stored grain, indicating close interactions between humans and cats.
  • The research suggests that the domestication process involved cats initially being attracted to human settlements for food, marking one of the earliest known instances of a commensal relationship between humans and cats.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Desoxy
@Desoxy64 · X

@DrBioblogo @VicensSanchez56 no me deja de sorprender la facilidad con la que la gente habla sin tener conocimiento. Por supuesto que los gatos son animales que tuvieron un proceso de domesticación (probablemente de mucho tiempo)... infórmate bien. https://t.co/G1oIzCnzu0

Sep 26, 2020 · 3 likes · 965 followers View post →
Sabhrina Aninta
@sagitaninta · X

Apa iya mereka "dipelihara"? Apakah kita bisa bilang "ikutan makan makanan yang sama dan mati di tempat sama" sebagai "dipelihara"? Kenapa bukan "tetangga"? (Konteks: https://t.co/897yrHbawf) Sudut pandang antroposentris ini emang tak terhindarkan kalo ngomongin spesies lain. https://t.co/1gHcSAcaU0 https://t.co/Tn2yq5n4xj

Apr 27, 2022 · 1 share · 2,741 followers View post →
Jase Huang
@homer2288 · X

"This study of cats living 5,300 y ago at the agricultural village of Quanhucun, China provides the earliest known evidence for mutualistic relationships between people and cats" Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication https://t.co/YUybrK32gj

Jan 25, 2022 · 1,731 followers View post →
Nendo
@nendonerd · X

@PelerinInExile @Kenntnis22 https://t.co/94iKj1Wvvl

Nov 15, 2025 · 139 followers View post →
Big Nugget
@CasualBigNugget · X

@lune_ava Ils sont ignorants. Les chats nous protègent car les chats tuent les pestes dans les campagnes qui sinon détruirait les récoltes. Les rongeurs reproduisent bien trop vite. Ils sont essentiels. Lisez : https://t.co/05eFQ5k0Ya et https://t.co/pnKi1qL0N8 et https://t.co/P78Em9ViJY

Sep 19, 2025 · 59 followers View post →
Big Nugget
@CasualBigNugget · X

@marcbabec @lune_ava Ce qui est bien. Ils nous protège car les chats tuent les pestes dans les campagnes qui sinon détruirait les récoltes. Savez-vous à quelle vitesse se reproduisent les rongeurs? Lisez : https://t.co/05eFQ5k0Ya et https://t.co/pnKi1qL0N8 et https://t.co/P78Em9ViJY

Sep 19, 2025 · 59 followers View post →

All mentions

Nendo
@nendonerd · X

@PelerinInExile @Kenntnis22 https://t.co/94iKj1Wvvl

Nov 15, 2025 · 139 followers View post →
Big Nugget
@CasualBigNugget · X

@lune_ava Ils sont ignorants. Les chats nous protègent car les chats tuent les pestes dans les campagnes qui sinon détruirait les récoltes. Les rongeurs reproduisent bien trop vite. Ils sont essentiels. Lisez : https://t.co/05eFQ5k0Ya et https://t.co/pnKi1qL0N8 et https://t.co/P78Em9ViJY

Sep 19, 2025 · 59 followers View post →
Big Nugget
@CasualBigNugget · X

@marcbabec @lune_ava Ce qui est bien. Ils nous protège car les chats tuent les pestes dans les campagnes qui sinon détruirait les récoltes. Savez-vous à quelle vitesse se reproduisent les rongeurs? Lisez : https://t.co/05eFQ5k0Ya et https://t.co/pnKi1qL0N8 et https://t.co/P78Em9ViJY

Sep 19, 2025 · 59 followers View post →
Lily
@LilyUCIWriting · X

This article has some interesting information on the history of cat domestication. https://t.co/OdkfdK8Zsx #39canimals

Jan 21, 2023 · 38 followers View post →
(Cat)Napping Machine
@NapMachine · X

#DidYouKnow While all domestic cats are descended from African Wildcats, a 2013 article by Yaowu Hu and team documents a Neolithic Chinese village where Leopard Cats were possibly being tamed 5,300 years ago. Read more: https://t.co/as4Om3WdKH and https://t.co/ciJ1mow3Is https://t.co/hMcUOTncQr

Nov 18, 2022 · 4 followers View post →
Dick Richards
@LotsOfInterst · X

Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication. #etsyemail https://t.co/wqKrsm1JNS

Aug 14, 2022 · 53 followers View post →
Sabhrina Aninta
@sagitaninta · X

Apa iya mereka "dipelihara"? Apakah kita bisa bilang "ikutan makan makanan yang sama dan mati di tempat sama" sebagai "dipelihara"? Kenapa bukan "tetangga"? (Konteks: https://t.co/897yrHbawf) Sudut pandang antroposentris ini emang tak terhindarkan kalo ngomongin spesies lain. https://t.co/1gHcSAcaU0 https://t.co/Tn2yq5n4xj

Apr 27, 2022 · 1 share · 2,741 followers View post →
Jase Huang
@homer2288 · X

"This study of cats living 5,300 y ago at the agricultural village of Quanhucun, China provides the earliest known evidence for mutualistic relationships between people and cats" Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication https://t.co/YUybrK32gj

Jan 25, 2022 · 1,731 followers View post →
Desoxy
@Desoxy64 · X

@DrBioblogo @VicensSanchez56 no me deja de sorprender la facilidad con la que la gente habla sin tener conocimiento. Por supuesto que los gatos son animales que tuvieron un proceso de domesticación (probablemente de mucho tiempo)... infórmate bien. https://t.co/G1oIzCnzu0

Sep 26, 2020 · 3 likes · 965 followers View post →
Paleogenomics - María Ávila Arcos
@paleogenomics.bsky.social · Bluesky

Earliest evidence for commensal processes of cat domestication http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2013/12/12/1311439110.short

Dec 21, 2013 View post →