But further scrutiny revealed distinctive features: legs slightly longer than those of most domestic cats, and a striking black-tipped tail. I explored this question in my book "The Cat's Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa." But tomb paintings and sculptures show that by 3,500 years ago, domestic cats lived in Egypt. Or you can measure the length of its intestines – longer in domestic cats to digest vegetable-based food provided by or scavenged from humans. The common view that domestic cats are aloof loners couldn't be further from the truth.

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Persons: Jonathan Losos, I've, felines, –, Sophie Kleeman, loners couldn't, Thomas Winz, who's, William H, Danforth, St . Louis Organizations: North African Wildcat, Service, wildcats, African wildcats, pumas –, Vikings, Arts & Sciences, Washington University Locations: Wall, Silicon, Africa, New Jersey, South Africa, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Iran, Europe, North America, Asia, St .