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European wildcats on Mount Etna

Discussion in 'Italy' started by vogelcommando, 19 Aug 2014.

  1. vogelcommando

    vogelcommando Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    vogelcommando, 19 Aug 2014
    #1
  2. colobus

    colobus Well-Known Member

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    Incidentally, the Sicilian wild cat may represent an endemic taxon
     
    colobus, 25 Aug 2014
    #2
  3. IanRRobinson

    IanRRobinson Well-Known Member

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    The domestication of the cat in the Middle East probably means we'll never be able to untangle the precise relationships between European, African and Asian Wild Cats. I have to say it wouldn't have surprised me too much if these animals on Sicily had been African Wild Cats.
     
    IanRRobinson, 4 Dec 2014
    #3
  4. colobus

    colobus Well-Known Member

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    There are some ancient relics of African origin among lower organisms, but for mammals most are connected to Italian peninsula. only the Sicilian shrew is really a paleoendemic with affinities with the Canary shrew.
     
    colobus, 4 Dec 2014
    #4