Some of you probably missed the news last year that scientists have succeeded in a first-pass sequencing of the cat genome, accounting for some 20,285 genes plucked from a four-year-old Abyssinian named Cinnamon. Humph. Abyssinians can't hold a candle to tabby cats. But try telling that to biologists.
Anyway, those scientists published their genome sequence in Science magazine last November. The analysis still needs work, but it's about 95% complete. The most surprising finding is that the cat genome has more in common with humans than other "nonprimate species" -- including dogs. This comes as no surprise to me, of course. In fact, I predict scientists will find that humans may very well have evolved from La Famille Felidae. We're that extraordinary.
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