A new genome study narrows the timeline of cat domestication, placing the introduction of domestic cats into Europe from North Africa at roughly two millennia ago, during early Roman times.

The findings challenge the idea of a Levant-origin domestication 10,000 years ago and suggest a slower, later arrival of domestic cats into Europe and beyond.

Observers say the study provides crucial data points that point to a complex, regionally varied domestication process rather than a single origin.

Earlier European and Turkish remains are largely European wildcats rather than domestic cats, indicating interbreeding with African wildcats before true domestication.

Advances in nuclear DNA analysis offer insights beyond bone morphology, enabling finer tracing of lineages.

Archaeological evidence hints at a broader introduction window—potentially up to 3,000 years ago for Europe—with gaps in ancient Egyptian DNA recovery underscoring the need for more samples.

The research, published in Science and Cell Genomics, used archaeological bone DNA dating to map domestication and dispersal across Europe, North Africa, Anatolia, and Asia.

Previous mtDNA work suggested Neolithic Near Eastern arrival circa 6,000–7,000 years ago, but the new study relies on nuclear DNA for finer lineage resolution.

The results indicate multiple North African regions and cultures contributed to domestication, rather than a single origin center.

Overall, genetic evidence redefines domestication as a later, multi-regional wave with varied interchanges rather than a single origin.

The Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences supplied crucial cat bone samples for the study.

DNA and bone analyses point to northern Africa, likely Egypt, as the origin of domestication, not the Levant where early agriculture began.