When it comes to our pets, there are the ardent dog-lovers and those who emphasize the benefits of the cat. It would seem that science has decided between them, and that cats are ultimately superior to dogs, at least from a point of view strictly linked to their evolution.
The rivalry between dogs and cats and between dog and cat lovers is not new, and according to the British daily The Independent, it seems that scientists have determined that cats are superior to dogs, on the one hand. evolutionary point of view, or at least more resistant. The study that puts this forward is to be consulted in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).
According to this study based on more than 2,000 ancient fossils, during evolution, felids were much better able to survive than canids than the reverse, and they even contributed to the disappearance of around forty races of dogs, especially supplanting them for scarce food supplies, as they have been more efficient hunters. The converse could not be demonstrated.
The canine species that have managed to survive the felids are those that have been able to count on their speed and their murderous instincts, like wolves. On the other hand, canine species that lived on ambush techniques similar to felines suffered much more from the presence of felids, and many of them disappeared. One of the main advantages of the cat over the dog is its retractable claw, which is much less damaged than the dog’s claw, which is likely not to be sharp enough during an attack.
Canine species originated 40 million years ago in North America and reached a maximum of diversity about 20 million years later. This is when the feline species arrived from Asia. » The arrival of cats in North America had a deadly impact on the diversity of the dog family. We generally expect climate change to play the dominant role in the evolution of species. In fact, competition between different carnivores turns out to be a bigger factor when it comes to dogs.“, said the report’s lead author, Dr Daniele Silvestro, from the University of Lausanne in Switzerland.