JOURNAL ARTICLE

Silk Road merchants may have introduced cats to China 1400 years ago.

  • Published In: Sciencemag.org, 2025. P. N.PAG 1 of 3

  • Database: Applied Science & Technology Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Grimm, David 3 of 3

Abstract

A recent study suggests that domestic cats may have been introduced to China around 600 C.E. by merchants traveling along the Silk Road. The analysis of ancient cat bones in China indicates that these cats were likely prized exotic pets, with genetic evidence linking them to cats found in Kazakhstan. The research sheds light on the early history of cats in China and their connection to the Silk Road trade routes. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Sciencemag.org. 2025/02, pN.PAG
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2025
  • Accession Number:183084819
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Sciencemag.org is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.