"God created the cat to allow man to be able to caress a tiger". It's hard to agree with the fact that the cat exists only to satisfy humans, but this famous phrase by Richelieu - Fernand Méry is perfect to present a new study published in Nature Communications that reveals how tigers, lions and cats are not all that different.
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
"God created the cat to allow man to be able to caress a tiger". It is difficult to agree with the fact that the cat exists only to satisfy man, but this famous phrase by Richelieu - Fernand Méry is perfect to present a new study published in Nature Communications which reveals how tigers, lions and cats aren't all that different.
A group of scientists from the Personal Genomics Institute of Suwon, in South Korea, mapped the genome of a 9-year-old male Siberian tiger, comparing it to the genome of other big cats including the Bengal white tiger, lions and snow leopards, as part of conservation efforts aimed at protect these endangered species. The research gives clues as to how big cats evolved to become large predators with their immense muscle strength. And reveals how our cats share 95% of the genes with the tiger.
Until now, the only feline to have complete DNA mapping was the house cat. In this study, however, the researchers sequenced the entire genome of a Siberian tiger and found that a number of felines exhibit specific amino acid changes that can affect their metabolism. These signals have been associated with a mandatory carnivorous diet.
Furthermore, the team revealed that genes linked to muscle strength, energy metabolism and sensory abilities, including olfactory receptor activity and visual perception, appeared to be undergoing rapid evolution in the tiger. “Genetically, all felines are very similar, so we need to close the genetic mapping to find the small differences that make them different. All cats are unparalleled hunters, and here we see some of the genetic reasons ", he said genetics expert Jong Bhak.
Some genetic differences are evident in the mapping, such as two genes likely involved in adapting to high altitude and thin air in the snow leopard. Overall, however, the domestic cat appears to be based on a narrow set of 1.376 genes linked to strong muscle fibers and protein digestion. The genes in common are to be linked, experts say, to first common ancestor of the big cats around 11 million years ago. And now data on tigers, lions and snow leopards will provide a rich and diverse resource that can be used in future studies for the conservation of their populations, helping to ensure the future survival of these majestic species.
Roberta Ragni
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