The question of whether dogs or cats arrived first on Earth is a common one, yet its answer depends on the perspective taken. It requires considering two distinct timelines: the deep evolutionary history of their lineages and their more recent domestication by humans.
The Common Ancestor of Carnivores
Both dogs and cats trace their lineage back to Miacis, an ancient mammal from the Eocene epoch, approximately 50 to 46.2 million years ago. This small, tree-climbing creature, resembling a modern-day weasel, is considered a basal carnivoramorph. Around 55 to 40 million years ago, a significant split occurred within this lineage, giving rise to the two major suborders of modern carnivores: Caniformia (“dog-like”) and Feliformia (“cat-like”).
The Evolutionary Path of Canids
The Caniformia lineage, which includes dogs, originated primarily in North America. Early canids emerged from Miacis-like ancestors, diversifying over millions of years. The Canidae family evolved, leading to the gray wolf (Canis lupus), from which domestic dogs eventually descended. Genetic evidence suggests dogs diverged from their wolf ancestors between 27,000 and 40,000 years ago.
The Evolutionary Path of Felids
Conversely, the Feliformia lineage, encompassing cats, primarily diversified in Africa and Southern Asia. Early cat-like animals, such as Proailurus and Pseudaelurus, appeared approximately 35 to 28.5 million years ago. These early felids gave rise to the Felidae family, which includes all modern wild and domestic cats. The common ancestor of all extant cat species is believed to have lived in Asia around 10 to 11 million years ago.
The Dawn of Domestication
The process of domestication represents a separate timeline. Dogs were the first animal species domesticated by humans, beginning from gray wolf populations in Siberia around 23,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence, such as remains found in Bonn-Oberkassel, Germany, indicates fully domesticated dogs coexisted with humans at least 14,000 years ago.
Cats were domesticated much later. Evidence points to their domestication in the Fertile Crescent region of the Near East, roughly 10,000 years ago. This likely began when wildcats were attracted to human settlements by abundant rodents. The earliest archaeological record of a cat buried with a human dates back approximately 9,500 years ago in Cyprus.
So, Which Came First?
In terms of deep evolutionary history, the ancestors of dogs (Caniformia) diverged from the common carnivore ancestor earlier than the ancestors of cats (Feliformia), approximately 55 to 40 million years ago. However, regarding domestication, dogs were clearly domesticated significantly earlier than cats. Dogs have been human companions for at least 14,000 to 23,000 years, while cats joined human households around 9,500 to 10,000 years ago.