WITHDRAWN: Redefining the timing and circumstances of cat domestication, their dispersal trajectories, and the extirpation of European wildcats

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Alves , Adrian Bălăşescu , Polydora Baker , Piotr Baranowski , Fiona Beglane , Julie Bitz-Thorsen , Angie Bolton , Will Bowden , Hannah Britton , Bea De Cupere , Marco De Martino , Ben Donnelly-Symes , Allowen Evin , Tom Fowler , Michael Fulford , Anne Birgitte Gotfredsen , Yu Han , Andrew C. Kitchener , Zoe Knapp , Shu-Jin Luo , Ingrid Mainland , Darko Maričević , Sian Moody , Tereza Nesnídalová , Terry O’Connor , David Orton , Joris Peters , Felix Sadebeck , AB Siegenthaler , Riley Smallman , Zdeňka Sůvová , Rob Symmons , Jack Sudds , Gabor Thomas , Wim Van Neer , Jarosław Wilczyński , Claudio Ottoni , Danijela Popović , Laurent A.F. Frantz , Greger Larson , Naomi Sykes doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.28.645877 Sean Doherty 1 Department of Archaeology and History, University of Exeter , Exeter, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site ORCID record for Sean Doherty For correspondence: s.doherty{at}exeter.ac.uk Magdalena Krajcarz 2 Institute of Archaeology, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń , Toruń, Poland Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Alberto Carmagnini 3 Palaeogenomics Group, Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität , 80539, Munich, Germany 4 School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London , London, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Evangelos Dimopoulos 5 The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford , Oxford, UK 6 Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, United Kingdom Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Alexandra Jamieson 3 Palaeogenomics Group, Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität , 80539, Munich, Germany 5 The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford , Oxford, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Joel M. Alves 5 The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford , Oxford, UK 7 CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto , Vairão, Portugal 8 BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO , Campus de Vairão, Vairão, Portugal Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Adrian Bălăşescu 9 “Vasile Pârvan” Institute of Archaeology, Romanian Academy , Bucharest 010667, RO Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Polydora Baker 10 Fort Cumberland Laboratories , Historic England, Portsmouth, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Piotr Baranowski 11 Department of Animal Anatomy and Zoology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, Western Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin , Poland Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Fiona Beglane 12 CERIS, School of Science, Atlantic Technological University , Sligo, Ireland Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Julie Bitz-Thorsen 13 Globe Institute, GeoGenetics Sequencing Core, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, DK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Angie Bolton 14 Oxfordshire Museum Service, Oxfordshire County Council , UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Will Bowden 15 Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Nottingham , Nottingham, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Hannah Britton 1 Department of Archaeology and History, University of Exeter , Exeter, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Bea De Cupere 16 Operational Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences , Brussels, Belgium Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Marco De Martino 17 Centre of Molecular Anthropology for Ancient DNA Studies, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata , Italy 18 PhD Program in Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata , Italy Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Ben Donnelly-Symes 19 Northamptonshire Archaeological Resource Centre , Irchester, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Allowen Evin 20 ISEM, University of Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD , Montpellier, France Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Tom Fowler 15 Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Nottingham , Nottingham, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Michael Fulford 21 Department of Archaeology, University of Reading , UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Anne Birgitte Gotfredsen 22 Globe Institute, Section for GeoGenetics, University of Copenhagen , Copenhagen, Denmark Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Yu Han 5 The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford , Oxford, UK 23 The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences; Institute of Ecology, Peking University , Beijing, China 24 Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University , Beijing, China Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Andrew C. Kitchener 25 Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland , Edinburgh, UK 26 Institute of Geography, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Zoe Knapp 21 Department of Archaeology, University of Reading , UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Shu-Jin Luo 23 The State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences; Institute of Ecology, Peking University , Beijing, China 24 Peking-Tsinghua Centre for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University , Beijing, China Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Ingrid Mainland 27 UHI Archaeology Institute, University of the Highlands and Islands , Orkney, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Darko Maričević 21 Department of Archaeology, University of Reading , UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Sian Moody 28 Department of Sociology, Philosophy and Anthropology, University of Exeter , Exeter, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Tereza Nesnídalová 1 Department of Archaeology and History, University of Exeter , Exeter, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Terry O’Connor 29 Department of Archaeology, University of York , York, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site David Orton 29 Department of Archaeology, University of York , York, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Joris Peters 30 Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München , 80539 Munich, DE 31 Bavarian State Collections of Natural History, State Collection of Palaeoanatomy , 80333 Munich, Germany 32 ArchaeoBioCenter, LMU Munich , 80539 Munich, Germany Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Felix Sadebeck 1 Department of Archaeology and History, University of Exeter , Exeter, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site AB Siegenthaler 5 The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford , Oxford, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Riley Smallman 1 Department of Archaeology and History, University of Exeter , Exeter, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Zdeňka Sůvová 33 Department of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of West Bohemia , Pilsen, Czechia Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Rob Symmons 34 Fishbourne Roman Palace , West Sussex, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Jack Sudds 1 Department of Archaeology and History, University of Exeter , Exeter, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Gabor Thomas 21 Department of Archaeology, University of Reading , UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Wim Van Neer 16 Operational Directorate Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences , Brussels, Belgium 35 Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics, Centre for Archaeological Sciences, University of Leuven , Leuven, Belgium Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Jarosław Wilczyński 36 Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences , Kraków, Poland Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Claudio Ottoni 17 Centre of Molecular Anthropology for Ancient DNA Studies, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata , Italy Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Danijela Popović 37 Centre of New Technologies, University of Warsaw , Poland Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Laurent A.F. Frantz 3 Palaeogenomics Group, Institute of Palaeoanatomy, Domestication Research and the History of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität , 80539, Munich, Germany 4 School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London , London, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Greger Larson 5 The Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archaeology Research Network, Research Laboratory for Archaeology and History of Art, The University of Oxford , Oxford, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Naomi Sykes 1 Department of Archaeology and History, University of Exeter , Exeter, UK Find this author on Google Scholar Find this author on PubMed Search for this author on this site Abstract Info/History Metrics Preview PDF Withdrawal Statement The authors have withdrawn this manuscript as we carry out reanalysis and reinterpretation of our results. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author. Competing Interest Statement The authors have declared no competing interest. Funder Information Declared Wellcome Trust , 219889/Z/19/Z , 210119/Z/18/Z Natural Environment Research Council , NE/L002612/1 , NE/K005243/1 , NE/K003259/ , NE/S007067/1 , NE/S00078X/1 , NF/2018/2/16 Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst , 57552336 European Research Council , ERC-2013-StG-337574-UNDEAD , ERC-2019-StG-853272-PALAEOFARM , ERC-2019-StG-852573-DEMETER , 101002811 FELIX National Science Center , 2019/35/B/HS3/02923 Copyright The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC 4.0 International license . View the discussion thread. Back to top Previous Next Posted July 31, 2025. 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Share WITHDRAWN: Redefining the timing and circumstances of cat domestication, their dispersal trajectories, and the extirpation of European wildcats Sean Doherty , Magdalena Krajcarz , Alberto Carmagnini , Evangelos Dimopoulos , Alexandra Jamieson , Joel M. Alves , Adrian Bălăşescu , Polydora Baker , Piotr Baranowski , Fiona Beglane , Julie Bitz-Thorsen , Angie Bolton , Will Bowden , Hannah Britton , Bea De Cupere , Marco De Martino , Ben Donnelly-Symes , Allowen Evin , Tom Fowler , Michael Fulford , Anne Birgitte Gotfredsen , Yu Han , Andrew C. Kitchener , Zoe Knapp , Shu-Jin Luo , Ingrid Mainland , Darko Maričević , Sian Moody , Tereza Nesnídalová , Terry O’Connor , David Orton , Joris Peters , Felix Sadebeck , AB Siegenthaler , Riley Smallman , Zdeňka Sůvová , Rob Symmons , Jack Sudds , Gabor Thomas , Wim Van Neer , Jarosław Wilczyński , Claudio Ottoni , Danijela Popović , Laurent A.F. Frantz , Greger Larson , Naomi Sykes bioRxiv 2025.03.28.645877; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.28.645877 Share This Article: Copy Citation Tools WITHDRAWN: Redefining the timing and circumstances of cat domestication, their dispersal trajectories, and the extirpation of European wildcats Sean Doherty , Magdalena Krajcarz , Alberto Carmagnini , Evangelos Dimopoulos , Alexandra Jamieson , Joel M. Alves , Adrian Bălăşescu , Polydora Baker , Piotr Baranowski , Fiona Beglane , Julie Bitz-Thorsen , Angie Bolton , Will Bowden , Hannah Britton , Bea De Cupere , Marco De Martino , Ben Donnelly-Symes , Allowen Evin , Tom Fowler , Michael Fulford , Anne Birgitte Gotfredsen , Yu Han , Andrew C. Kitchener , Zoe Knapp , Shu-Jin Luo , Ingrid Mainland , Darko Maričević , Sian Moody , Tereza Nesnídalová , Terry O’Connor , David Orton , Joris Peters , Felix Sadebeck , AB Siegenthaler , Riley Smallman , Zdeňka Sůvová , Rob Symmons , Jack Sudds , Gabor Thomas , Wim Van Neer , Jarosław Wilczyński , Claudio Ottoni , Danijela Popović , Laurent A.F. Frantz , Greger Larson , Naomi Sykes bioRxiv 2025.03.28.645877; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.28.645877 Citation Manager Formats BibTeX Bookends EasyBib EndNote (tagged) EndNote 8 (xml) Medlars Mendeley Papers RefWorks Tagged Ref Manager RIS Zotero Tweet Widget Facebook Like Google Plus One Subject Area Zoology Subject Areas All Articles Animal Behavior and Cognition (7624) Biochemistry (17650) Bioengineering (13871) Bioinformatics (41882) Biophysics (21424) Cancer Biology (18566) Cell Biology (25461) Clinical Trials (138) Developmental Biology (13365) Ecology (19867) Epidemiology (2067) Evolutionary Biology (24290) Genetics (15590) Genomics (22476) Immunology (17713) Microbiology (40331) Molecular Biology (17148) Neuroscience (88477) Paleontology (666) Pathology (2828) Pharmacology and Toxicology (4816) Physiology (7635) Plant Biology (15114) Scientific Communication and Education (2044) Synthetic Biology (4286) Systems Biology (9815) Zoology (2268)