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The tabby pattern
breaks up the cat's outline and blends into the
shadows of trees and woodland, when the cat hunts
at dusk or dawn. In towns, where cats are
frequently scavengers and where they are less
likely to be predated upon, black or blotched
tabby are not disadvantageous.
Dark-colored cats
are believed to be more common where cats live
closely with man, therefore, the earlier the urbanization
of a place, the greater the
proportion of dark forms (at least until the
advent of neutering). This theory suggests that
where cat arrived in America in the 17th century,
the greatest variability in color will be found
in the older industrial societies where they have
had more time to mutate and where population
density has selected for more sociable strains.
Body type and fur length show signs of natural
selection (e.g. a stocky rather than lithe body
type in American
Shorthairs, longer fur in Maine
Coons), but the theory regarding color evolution
will probably never be proven. The common tabby
pattern of the Maine Coon probably reflects that
fact that these cats accompanied British colonists
all over the world. In Australia, a high
proportion of bush cats (rural ferals) have
reverted to the brown mackerel pattern (with or
without white spotting) which provides the best
camouflage when hunting or being hunted.
Which Breed Did That Color
Come From?
Black was probably
the first color mutation, followed by red and
white. Melanistic (black) forms of other cat
species occur so it is probably a simple mutation.
Different colors arose in different geographical
areas. At the same time, different races of cats
(what we call breeds) were evolving to suit the
local conditions e.g. longhaired cats in colder
climates, cobby shorthairs in temperament
climates, skinny oriental-type cats in hot
climates. Some colors have become associated with
particular breeds and with the temperaments of
those breeds e.g. Colourpoint
(Siamese) in the
lithe, extrovert cats of Thailand and Malaysia.
The appearance of
the color and the development of the personality
trait will have evolved as separate mutations; one
is not dependent on the other. When hybridizing
cats of different breeds, color and personality
may be inherited independently of each other or it
is possible that personality traits accompany color
traits if the genes for color and the
genes for personality sit close together on the
cats chromosomes. As the colors spread, any
linked personality traits will have spread with
them.
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