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80-865: The wildcat is a species complex comprising two small wild cat species : the European wildcat ( Felis silvestris ) and the African wildcat ( F. lybica ). The European wildcat inhabits forests in Europe , Anatolia and the Caucasus , while the African wildcat inhabits semi- arid landscapes and steppes in Africa , the Arabian Peninsula , Central Asia , into western India and western China . The wildcat species differ in fur pattern, tail, and size:

160-797: A burrow, rather than climb trees. When taking residence in a tree hollow, it selects one low to the ground. Dens in rocks or burrows are lined with dry grasses and bird feathers . Dens in tree hollows usually contain enough sawdust to make lining unnecessary. If the den becomes infested with fleas , the wildcat shifts to another den. During winter, when snowfall prevents the European wildcat from travelling long distances, it remains within its den until travel conditions improve. Territorial marking consists of spraying urine on trees, vegetation and rocks, depositing faeces in conspicuous places, and leaving scent marks through glands in its paws. It also leaves visual marks by scratching trees. Sight and hearing are

240-494: A common genetic heritage, though the suggestion of substantial horizontal gene transfer during early evolution has led to questions about the monophyly (single ancestry) of life. 6,331 groups of genes common to all living animals have been identified; these may have arisen from a single common ancestor that lived 650 million years ago in the Precambrian . Universal common descent through an evolutionary process

320-401: A common original type, and thus a common parent. In 1794, Charles Darwin's grandfather, Erasmus Darwin asked: [W]ould it be too bold to imagine, that in the great length of time, since the earth began to exist, perhaps millions of ages before the commencement of the history of mankind, would it be too bold to imagine, that all warm-blooded animals have arisen from one living filament, which

400-461: A complex ranking but it is not a species complex. In most cases, a species complex is a monophyletic group of species with a common ancestor, but there are exceptions. It may represent an early stage after speciation in which the species were separated for a long time period without evolving morphological differences. Hybrid speciation can be a component in the evolution of a species complex. Species complexes are ubiquitous and are identified by

480-486: A deceitful guide." And in the subsequent edition, he asserts rather, "We do not know all the possible transitional gradations between the simplest and the most perfect organs; it cannot be pretended that we know all the varied means of Distribution during the long lapse of years, or that we know how imperfect the Geological Record is. Grave as these several difficulties are, in my judgment they do not overthrow

560-528: A formal test, for the unity of life." Traditionally, these trees have been built using morphological methods, such as appearance, embryology , etc. Recently, it has been possible to construct these trees using molecular data, based on similarities and differences between genetic and protein sequences. All these methods produce essentially similar results, even though most genetic variation has no influence over external morphology. That phylogenetic trees based on different types of information agree with each other

640-630: A human and a possibly tamed cat. As no cat species is native to Cyprus, this discovery indicates that Neolithic farmers may have brought cats to Cyprus from the Near East. Results of genetics and morphological research corroborated that the African wildcat is the ancestor of the domestic cat. The first individuals were probably domesticated in the Fertile Crescent around the time of the introduction of agriculture. Murals and statuettes depicting cats as well mummified cats indicate that it

720-548: A modified muskrat trap with a spring placed in a concealed pit. A scent trail of pheasant viscera leads the cat to the pit. Wildcat skins were of little commercial value and sometimes converted into imitation sealskin ; the fur usually fetched between 50 and 60 kopecks . Wildcat skins were almost solely used for making cheap scarfs , muffs and coats for ladies. Wildcat species are protected in most range countries and listed in CITES Appendix II . The European wildcat

800-592: A native wildcat population. The African wildcat lives in a wide range of habitats except rainforest , but throughout the savannahs of Africa from Mauritania on the Atlantic coast eastward to the Horn of Africa up to altitudes of 3,000 m (9,800 ft). Small populations live in the Sahara and Nubian Deserts , Karoo region, Kalahari and Namib Deserts . It occurs around the Arabian Peninsula 's periphery to

880-407: A sign of ongoing or incipient speciation . Examples are ring species or species with subspecies , in which it is often unclear if they should be considered separate species. Several terms are used synonymously for a species complex, but some of them may also have slightly different or narrower meanings. In the nomenclature codes of zoology and bacteriology, no taxonomic ranks are defined at

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960-556: A species group share a range . A source from Iowa State University Department of Agronomy states that members of a species group usually have partially overlapping ranges but do not interbreed with one another. A Dictionary of Zoology ( Oxford University Press 1999) describes a species group as complex of related species that exist allopatrically and explains that the "grouping can often be supported by experimental crosses in which only certain pairs of species will produce hybrids ." The examples given below may support both uses of

1040-401: A unique ancestor commonly referred to as the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) of all life on Earth . Common descent is an effect of speciation , in which multiple species derive from a single ancestral population. The more recent the ancestral population two species have in common, the more closely are they related. The most recent common ancestor of all currently living organisms

1120-533: Is a recurring theme in many indigenous worldviews across the world. Later on, in the 1740s, the French mathematician Pierre Louis Maupertuis arrived at the idea that all organisms had a common ancestor, and had diverged through random variation and natural selection . In 1790, the philosopher Immanuel Kant wrote in Kritik der Urteilskraft ( Critique of Judgment ) that the similarity of animal forms implies

1200-402: Is actually at least three different species that diverged over 5 million years ago. Stabilizing selection has been invoked as a force maintaining similarity in species complexes, especially when they adapted to special environments (such as a host in the case of symbionts or extreme environments). This may constrain possible directions of evolution; in such cases, strongly divergent selection

1280-764: Is also listed in Appendix II of the Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats and in the European Union 's Habitats and Species Directive . Conservation Action Plans have been developed in Germany and Scotland. An African wildcat skeleton excavated in a 9,500-year-old Neolithic grave in Cyprus is the earliest known indication for a close relationship between

1360-411: Is at least one account of an adult wildcat being killed and eaten. Competitors include the golden jackal ( Canis aureus ), red fox, marten, and other predators. In the steppe regions of Europe and Asia, village dogs constitute serious enemies of wildcats, along with the much larger Eurasian lynx , one of the rare habitual predators of healthy adult wildcats. In Tajikistan, the grey wolf ( Canis lupus )

1440-491: Is convincing evidence of a single ancestry. 6,331 genes common to all living animals have been identified; these may have arisen from a single common ancestor that lived 650 million years ago in the Precambrian . The genetic code (the "translation table" according to which DNA information is translated into amino acids , and hence proteins) is nearly identical for all known lifeforms, from bacteria and archaea to animals and plants . The universality of this code

1520-416: Is generally regarded by biologists as definitive evidence in favor of universal common descent. The way that codons (DNA triplets) are mapped to amino acids seems to be strongly optimised. Richard Egel argues that in particular the hydrophobic (non-polar) side-chains are well organised, suggesting that these enabled the earliest organisms to create peptides with water-repelling regions able to support

1600-414: Is mentioned, above, that all living organisms may be descended from an original single-celled organism with a DNA genome , and that this implies a single origin for life. Although such a universal common ancestor may have existed, such a complex entity is unlikely to have arisen spontaneously from non-life and thus a cell with a DNA genome cannot reasonably be regarded as the origin of life. To understand

1680-480: Is not to be expected. Also, asexual reproduction, such as through apomixis in plants, may separate lineages without producing a great degree of morphological differentiation. A species complex is usually a group that has one common ancestor (a monophyletic group), but closer examination can sometimes disprove that. For example, yellow-spotted "fire salamanders" in the genus Salamandra , formerly all classified as one species S. salamandra , are not monophyletic:

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1760-526: Is strong evidence of a real underlying common descent. Theobald noted that substantial horizontal gene transfer could have occurred during early evolution. Bacteria today remain capable of gene exchange between distantly-related lineages. This weakens the basic assumption of phylogenetic analysis, that similarity of genomes implies common ancestry, because sufficient gene exchange would allow lineages to share much of their genome whether or not they shared an ancestor (monophyly) . This has led to questions about

1840-475: Is the last universal ancestor, which lived about 3.9 billion years ago . The two earliest pieces of evidence for life on Earth are graphite found to be biogenic in 3.7 billion-year-old metasedimentary rocks discovered in western Greenland and microbial mat fossils found in 3.48 billion-year-old sandstone discovered in Western Australia . All currently living organisms on Earth share

1920-638: Is the most serious competitor, having been observed to destroy cat burrows. Birds of prey , including Eurasian eagle-owl ( Bubo bubo ) and saker falcon ( Falco cherrug ), have been recorded to kill wildcat kittens. Golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) are known to hunt both adults and kittens. Seton Gordon recorded an instance where a wildcat fought a golden eagle, resulting in the deaths of both combatants. In Africa, wildcats are occasionally killed and eaten by Central African rock python ( Python sebae ) and martial eagle ( Polemaetus bellicosus ). Wildcat populations are foremost threatened by hybridization with

2000-856: The Corsican fire salamander 's closest relative has been shown to be the entirely black Alpine salamander . In such cases, similarity has arisen from convergent evolution . Hybrid speciation can lead to unclear species boundaries through a process of reticulate evolution , in which species have two parent species as their most recent common ancestors . In such cases, the hybrid species may have intermediate characters, such as in Heliconius butterflies. Hybrid speciation has been observed in various species complexes, such as insects, fungi, and plants. In plants, hybridization often takes place through polyploidization , and hybrid plant species are called nothospecies . Sources differ on whether or not members of

2080-487: The Galápagos Islands described by Charles Darwin . It has been suggested that cryptic species complexes are very common in the marine environment. That suggestion came before the detailed analysis of many systems using DNA sequence data but has been proven to be correct. The increased use of DNA sequence in the investigation of organismal diversity (also called phylogeography and DNA barcoding ) has led to

2160-655: The Pyrenees . Between the late 17th and mid 20th centuries, its European range became fragmented due to large-scale hunting and regional extirpation. It is possibly extinct in the Czech Republic , and considered regionally extinct in Austria , though vagrants from Italy are spreading into Austria. It has never inhabited Fennoscandia or Estonia . Sicily is the only island in the Mediterranean Sea with

2240-603: The anal opening . Large-sized sebaceous and scent glands extend along the full length of the tail on the dorsal side. Male wildcats have pre-anal pockets on the tail, activated upon reaching sexual maturity , play a significant role in reproduction and territorial marking . The European wildcat inhabits temperate broadleaf and mixed forests in Europe , Turkey and the Caucasus. In the Iberian Peninsula , it occurs from sea level to 2,250 m (7,380 ft) in

2320-455: The jungle cat ( F. chaus ) and leopard cat ( Prionailurus bengalensis ). Its dentition is relatively smaller and weaker than the jungle cat's. Both wildcat species are larger than the domestic cat. The European wildcat has relatively longer legs and a more robust build compared to the domestic cat. The tail is long, and usually slightly exceeds one-half of the animal's body length. The species size varies according to Bergmann's rule , with

2400-466: The laws of physics and chemistry - rather than through universal common descent - and therefore resulted in convergent evolution. In contrast, there is evidence for homology of the central subunits of transmembrane ATPases throughout all living organisms, especially how the rotating elements are bound to the membrane. This supports the assumption of a LUCA as a cellular organism, although primordial membranes may have been semipermeable and evolved later to

2480-892: The malaria vector genus of mosquito, Anopheles , the fungi causing cryptococcosis , and sister species of Bactrocera tryoni , or the Queensland fruit fly. That pest is indistinguishable from two sister species except that B. tryoni inflicts widespread, devastating damage to Australian fruit crops, but the sister species do not. When a species is found to be several phylogenetically distinct species, each typically has smaller distribution ranges and population sizes than had been reckoned. The different species can also differ in their ecology, such as by having different breeding strategies or habitat requirements, which must be taken into account for appropriate management. For example, giraffe populations and subspecies differ genetically to such an extent that they may be considered species. Although

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2560-508: The 13th century. The Clan Chattan Association (also known as the Clan of Cats) comprises 12 clans, the majority of which display the wildcat on their badges. Shakespeare referenced the wildcat three times: Species complex Two or more taxa that were once considered conspecific (of the same species) may later be subdivided into infraspecific taxa (taxa within a species, such as bacterial strains or plant varieties ), which may be

2640-476: The 1940s, the taxonomist Reginald Innes Pocock reviewed the collection of wildcat skins and skulls in the Natural History Museum, London , and designated seven F. silvestris subspecies from Europe to Asia Minor , and 25 F. lybica subspecies from Africa , and West to Central Asia . Pocock differentiated the: In 2005, 22 subspecies were recognized by the authors of Mammal Species of

2720-467: The Amazonian frog Eleutherodactylus ockendeni is actually at least three different species that diverged over 5 million years ago. A species flock may arise when a species penetrates a new geographical area and diversifies to occupy a variety of ecological niches , a process known as adaptive radiation . The first species flock to be recognized as such was the 13 species of Darwin's finches on

2800-647: The Caspian Sea, encompassing Mesopotamia , Israel and Palestine region . In Central Asia, it ranges into Xinjiang and southern Mongolia , and in South Asia into the Thar Desert and arid regions in India . Both wildcat species are largely nocturnal and solitary , except during the breeding period and when females have young. The size of home ranges of females and males varies according to terrain,

2880-644: The Cats) after them. According to the foundation myth of the Catti tribe, their ancestors were attacked by wildcats upon landing in Scotland. Their ferocity impressed the Catti so much, that the wildcat became their symbol. The progenitors of Clan Sutherland use the wildcat as symbol on their family crest. The clan's chief bears the title Morair Chat (Great Man of the Cats). The wildcat is considered an icon of Scottish wilderness, and has been used in clan heraldry since

2960-569: The European wildcat has long fur and a bushy tail with a rounded tip; the smaller African wildcat is more faintly striped, has short sandy-gray fur and a tapering tail; the Asiatic wildcat ( F. lybica ornata ) is spotted. The wildcat and the other members of the cat family had a common ancestor about 10–15 million years ago. The European wildcat evolved during the Cromerian Stage about 866,000 to 478,000 years ago; its direct ancestor

3040-487: The Middle East, giving rise to the steppe wildcat phenotype . Phylogenetic research revealed that the lybica lineage probably diverged from the silvestris lineage about 173,000 years ago. The wildcat has pointed ears, which are moderate in length and broad at the base. Its whiskers are white, number 7 to 16 on each side and reach 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in) in length on the muzzle. Whiskers are also present on

3120-538: The Origin of Species , were that it was probable that there was only one progenitor for all life forms: Therefore I should infer from analogy that probably all the organic beings which have ever lived on this earth have descended from some one primordial form, into which life was first breathed. But he precedes that remark by, "Analogy would lead me one step further, namely, to the belief that all animals and plants have descended from some one prototype. But analogy may be

3200-706: The World , who allocated subspecies largely in line with Pocock's assessment. In 2017, the Cat Classification Task Force revised the taxonomy of the Felidae, and recognized the following as valid taxa: The wildcat is a member of the Felidae, a family that had a common ancestor about 10–15 million years ago. Felis species diverged from the Felidae around 6–7 million years ago. The European wildcat diverged from Felis about 1.09 to 1.4 million years ago. The European wildcat's direct ancestor

3280-406: The age of three months, and blue eyes, which turn amber after five months. Their eyes open after 9–12 days, and their incisors erupt after 14–30 days. The kittens' milk teeth are replaced by their permanent dentition at the age of 160–240 days. The kittens start hunting with their mother at the age of 60 days, and start moving independently after 140–150 days. Lactation lasts 3–4 months, though

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3360-739: The availability of food, habitat quality and the age structure of the population. Male and female home ranges overlap, though core areas within territories are avoided by other cats. Females tend to be more sedentary than males, as they require an exclusive hunting area when raising kittens. Wildcats usually spend the day in a hollow tree, a rock crevice or in dense thickets. It is also reported to shelter in abandoned burrows of other species such as of red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) and in European badger ( Meles meles ) setts in Europe, and of fennec ( Vulpes zerda ) in Africa. When threatened, it retreats into

3440-407: The discovery of a great many cryptic species complexes in all habitats. In the marine bryozoan Celleporella hyalina , detailed morphological analyses and mating compatibility tests between the isolates identified by DNA sequence analysis were used to confirm that these groups consisted of more than 10 ecologically distinct species, which had been diverging for many millions of years. Evidence from

3520-519: The domestic cat. Mortality due to traffic accidents is a threat especially in Europe. The wildcat population in Scotland has declined since the turn of the 20th century due to habitat loss and persecution by landowners. In the former Soviet Union , wildcats were caught accidentally in traps set for European pine marten. In modern times, they are caught in unbaited traps on pathways or at abandoned trails of red fox, European badger, European hare or pheasant. One method of catching wildcats consists of using

3600-671: The drawing of dividing lines between species can be inherently difficult . A species complex is typically considered as a group of close, but distinct species. Obviously, the concept is closely tied to the definition of a species. Modern biology understands a species as "separately evolving metapopulation lineage " but acknowledges that the criteria to delimit species may depend on the group studied. Thus, many traditionally defined species, based only on morphological similarity, have been found to be several distinct species when other criteria, such as genetic differentiation or reproductive isolation , are applied. A more restricted use applies

3680-456: The effect of protein - and RNA- enzymes , then translated into proteins by (highly similar) ribosomes , with ATP , NADPH and others as energy sources. Analysis of small sequence differences in widely shared substances such as cytochrome c further supports universal common descent. Some 23 proteins are found in all organisms, serving as enzymes carrying out core functions like DNA replication. The fact that only one such set of enzymes exists

3760-456: The essential electron exchange ( redox ) reactions for energy transfer. Similarities which have no adaptive relevance cannot be explained by convergent evolution , and therefore they provide compelling support for universal common descent. Such evidence has come from two areas: amino acid sequences and DNA sequences. Proteins with the same three-dimensional structure need not have identical amino acid sequences; any irrelevant similarity between

3840-500: The establishment of settlements during the Neolithic Revolution , when rodents in grain stores of early farmers attracted wildcats. This association ultimately led to it being tamed and domesticated : the domestic cat is the direct descendant of the African wildcat. It was one of the revered cats in ancient Egypt . The European wildcat has been the subject of mythology and literature . Felis (catus) silvestris

3920-501: The general notion of common descent. It should come as no surprise, then, that the scientific community at large has accepted evolutionary descent as a historical reality since Darwin's time and considers it among the most reliably established and fundamentally important facts in all of science. All known forms of life are based on the same fundamental biochemical organization: genetic information encoded in DNA , transcribed into RNA , through

4000-400: The giraffe, as a whole, is not considered to be threatened, if each cryptic species is considered separately, there is a much higher level of threat. Common ancestor Common descent is a concept in evolutionary biology applicable when one species is the ancestor of two or more species later in time. According to modern evolutionary biology, all living beings could be descendants of

4080-477: The great First Cause endued with animality, with the power of acquiring new parts attended with new propensities, directed by irritations, sensations, volitions, and associations; and thus possessing the faculty of continuing to improve by its own inherent activity, and of delivering down those improvements by generation to its posterity, world without end? Charles Darwin 's views about common descent, as expressed in On

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4160-424: The identification of cryptic species has led some to conclude that current estimates of global species richness are too low. Pests, species that cause diseases and their vectors, have direct importance for humans. When they are found to be cryptic species complexes, the ecology and the virulence of each of these species need to be re-evaluated to devise appropriate control strategies. Examples are cryptic species in

4240-424: The inner surface of the paw and measure 3–4 cm (1.2–1.6 in). Its eyes are large, with vertical pupils and yellowish-green irises . The eyelashes range from 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) in length, and can number six to eight per side. The European wildcat has a greater skull volume than the domestic cat, a ratio known as Schauenberg's index . Further, its skull is more spherical in shape than that of

4320-451: The kittens disperse to establish their own territories. Their maximum life span is 21 years, though they usually live up to 13–14 years. Generation length of the wildcat is about eight years. Because of its habit of living in areas with rocks and tall trees for refuge, dense thickets and abandoned burrows, wildcats have few natural predators. In Central Europe, many kittens are killed by European pine marten ( Martes martes ), and there

4400-433: The kittens eat meat as early as 1.5 months of age. Sexual maturity is attained at the age of 300 days. Similarly to the domestic cat, the physical development of African wildcat kittens over the first two weeks of their lives is much faster than that of European wildcats. The kittens are largely fully grown by 10 months, though skeletal growth continues for over 18–19 months. The family dissolves after roughly five months, and

4480-635: The largest specimens occurring in cool, northern areas of Europe and Asia such as Mongolia , Manchuria and Siberia . Males measure 43–91 cm (17–36 in) in head to body length, 23–40 cm (9.1–15.7 in) in tail length, and normally weigh 5–8 kg (11–18 lb). Females are slightly smaller, measuring 40–77 cm (16–30 in) in body length and 18–35 cm (7.1–13.8 in) in tail length, and weighing 3–5 kg (6.6–11.0 lb). Both sexes have two thoracic and two abdominal teats . Both sexes have pre- anal glands , consisting of moderately sized sweat and sebaceous glands around

4560-559: The level between subgenus and species, but the botanical code defines four ranks below subgenus (section, subsection, series, and subseries). Different informal taxonomic solutions have been used to indicate a species complex. Distinguishing close species within a complex requires the study of often very small differences. Morphological differences may be minute and visible only by the use of adapted methods, such as microscopy . However, distinct species sometimes have no morphological differences. In those cases, other characters, such as in

4640-448: The membranes of modern bacteria, and on a second path to those of modern archaea also. Another important piece of evidence is from detailed phylogenetic trees (i.e., "genealogic trees" of species) mapping out the proposed divisions and common ancestors of all living species. In 2010, Douglas L. Theobald published a statistical analysis of available genetic data, mapping them to phylogenetic trees, that gave "strong quantitative support, by

4720-423: The only useful method. Different methods are used to analyse such genetic data, such as molecular phylogenetics or DNA barcoding . Such methods have greatly contributed to the discovery of cryptic species, including such emblematic species as the fly agaric , the water fleas , or the African elephants . Species forming a complex have typically diverged very recently from each other, which sometimes allows

4800-495: The origin of life, it has been proposed that DNA based cellular life descended from relatively simple pre-cellular self-replicating RNA molecules able to undergo natural selection . During the course of evolution, this RNA world was replaced by the evolutionary emergence of the DNA world. A world of independently self-replicating RNA genomes apparently no longer exists (RNA viruses are dependent on host cells with DNA genomes). Because

4880-458: The positioning of introns and pseudogenes , provide strong evidence of common ancestry. Biologists often point to the universality of many aspects of cellular life as supportive evidence to the more compelling evidence listed above. These similarities include the energy carrier adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and the fact that all amino acids found in proteins are left-handed . It is, however, possible that these similarities resulted because of

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4960-453: The redundant codons, and since the correct amino acids would already have been in place, natural selection would not have driven any change in the codons, however much time was available. Genetic drift could change the codons, but it would be extremely unlikely to make all the redundant codons in a whole sequence match exactly across multiple lineages. Similarly, shared nucleotide sequences, especially where these are apparently neutral such as

5040-427: The retracing of the process of speciation . Species with differentiated populations, such as ring species , are sometimes seen as an example of early, ongoing speciation: a species complex in formation. Nevertheless, similar but distinct species have sometimes been isolated for a long time without evolving differences, a phenomenon known as "morphological stasis". For example, the Amazonian frog Pristimantis ockendeni

5120-459: The rigorous study of differences between individual species that uses minute morphological details, tests of reproductive isolation , or DNA -based methods, such as molecular phylogenetics and DNA barcoding . The existence of extremely similar species may cause local and global species diversity to be underestimated. The recognition of similar-but-distinct species is important for disease and pest control and in conservation biology although

5200-659: The same environmental conditions to evolve similar biochemistry convergently , they might independently have acquired similar genetic sequences. Theobald's "formal test" was accordingly criticised by Takahiro Yonezawa and colleagues for not including consideration of convergence. They argued that Theobald's test was insufficient to distinguish between the competing hypotheses. Theobald has defended his method against this claim, arguing that his tests distinguish between phylogenetic structure and mere sequence similarity. Therefore, Theobald argued, his results show that "real universally conserved proteins are homologous ." The possibility

5280-461: The same species. Where closely related species co-exist in sympatry , it is often a particular challenge to understand how the similar species persist without outcompeting each other. Niche partitioning is one mechanism invoked to explain that. Indeed, studies in some species complexes suggest that species divergence have gone in par with ecological differentiation, with species now preferring different microhabitats. Similar methods also found that

5360-443: The sequences is evidence for common descent. In certain cases, there are several codons (DNA triplets) that code redundantly for the same amino acid. Since many species use the same codon at the same place to specify an amino acid that can be represented by more than one codon, that is evidence for their sharing a recent common ancestor. Had the amino acid sequences come from different ancestors, they would have been coded for by any of

5440-453: The single ancestry of life. However, biologists consider it very unlikely that completely unrelated proto-organisms could have exchanged genes, as their different coding mechanisms would have resulted only in garble rather than functioning systems. Later, however, many organisms all derived from a single ancestor could readily have shared genes that all worked in the same way, and it appears that they have. If early organisms had been driven by

5520-445: The species' life history , behavior , physiology , and karyology , may be explored. For example, territorial songs are indicative of species in the treecreepers , a bird genus with few morphological differences. Mating tests are common in some groups such as fungi to confirm the reproductive isolation of two species. Analysis of DNA sequences is becoming increasingly standard for species recognition and may, in many cases, be

5600-561: The term "species group." Often, such complexes do not become evident until a new species is introduced into the system, which breaks down existing species barriers. An example is the introduction of the Spanish slug in Northern Europe , where interbreeding with the local black slug and red slug , which were traditionally considered clearly separate species that did not interbreed, shows that they may be actually just subspecies of

5680-418: The term to a group of species among which hybridisation has occurred or is occurring, which leads to intermediate forms and blurred species boundaries. The informal classification, superspecies, can be exemplified by the grizzled skipper butterfly, which is a superspecies that is further divided into three subspecies. Some authors apply the term to a species with intraspecific variability , which might be

5760-427: The theory of descent from a few created forms with subsequent modification". Common descent was widely accepted amongst the scientific community after Darwin's publication. In 1907, Vernon Kellogg commented that "practically no naturalists of position and recognized attainment doubt the theory of descent." In 2008, biologist T. Ryan Gregory noted that: No reliable observation has ever been found to contradict

5840-537: The wild, it consumes up to 600 g (21 oz) of food daily. The African wildcat preys foremost on murids , to a lesser extent also on birds, small reptiles and invertebrates . The wildcat has two estrus periods, one in December–February and another in May–July. Estrus lasts 5–9 days, with a gestation period lasting 60–68 days. Ovulation is induced through copulation . Spermatogenesis occurs throughout

5920-954: The wildcat's primary senses when hunting. It lies in wait for prey, then catches it by executing a few leaps, which can span three metres. When hunting near water courses, it waits on trees overhanging the water. It kills small prey by grabbing it in its claws, and piercing the neck or occiput with its fangs. When attacking large prey, it leaps upon the animal's back, and attempts to bite the neck or carotid . It does not persist in attacking if prey manages to escape. The European wildcat primarily preys on small mammals such as European rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) and rodents . It also preys on dormice , hares , nutria ( Myocastor coypus ) and birds , especially ducks and other waterfowl , galliformes , pigeons and passerines . It can consume large bone fragments. Although it kills insectivores such as moles and shrews , it rarely eats them. When living close to human settlements, it preys on poultry . In

6000-524: The year. During the mating season , males fight viciously, and may congregate around a single female. There are records of male and female wildcats becoming temporarily monogamous. Kittens are usually born between April and May, and up to August. Litter size ranges from 1–7 kittens. Kittens are born with closed eyes and are covered in a fuzzy coat. They weigh 65–163 g (2.3–5.7 oz) at birth, and kittens under 90 g (3.2 oz) usually do not survive. They are born with pink paw pads, which blacken at

6080-541: Was Felis lunensis , which lived in Europe in the late Pliocene and Villafranchian periods. Fossil remains indicate that the transition from lunensis to silvestris was completed by the Holstein interglacial about 340,000 to 325,000 years ago. Craniological differences between the European and African wildcats indicate that the wildcat probably migrated during the Late Pleistocene from Europe into

6160-601: Was Felis lunensis . The silvestris and lybica lineages probably diverged about 173,000 years ago. The wildcat is categorized as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 2002, since it is widely distributed in a stable global population exceeding 20,000 mature individuals. Some local populations are threatened by introgressive hybridisation with the domestic cat ( F. catus ), contagious disease, vehicle collisions and persecution. The association of African wildcats and humans appears to have developed along with

6240-860: Was commonly kept by ancient Egyptians since at least the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt . Celtic fables of the Cat Sìth , a fairy creature described as resembling a large white-chested black cat, are thought to have been inspired by the Kellas cat , itself thought to be a free-ranging crossbreed between a European wildcat and a domestic cat. In 1693, William Salmon mentioned how body parts of the wildcat were used for medicinal purposes; its flesh for treating gout , its fat for dissolving tumours and easing pain, its blood for curing " falling sickness ", and its excrement for treating baldness . The Picts venerated wildcats, having probably named Caithness (Land of

6320-617: Was first proposed by the British naturalist Charles Darwin in the concluding sentence of his 1859 book On the Origin of Species : There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone cycling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved. The idea that all living things (including things considered non-living by science) are related

6400-661: Was the scientific name used in 1777 by Johann von Schreber when he described the European wildcat based on descriptions and names proposed by earlier naturalists such as Mathurin Jacques Brisson , Ulisse Aldrovandi and Conrad Gessner . Felis lybica was the name proposed in 1780 by Georg Forster , who described an African wildcat from Gafsa on the Barbary Coast . In subsequent decades, several naturalists and explorers described 40 wildcat specimens collected in European, African and Asian range countries. In

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