Abstract
BackgroundCats have been transported as human commensals worldwide giving rise to many feral populations. In Australia, feral cats have caused decline and extinction of native mammals, but their time of introduction and origin is unclear. Here, we investigate hypotheses of cat arrival pre- or post-European settlement, and the potential for admixture between cats of different invasion events. We analyse the genetic structure and diversity of feral cats from six locations on mainland Australia, seven Australian islands and samples from Southeast Asia and Europe using microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA data.ResultsOur results based on phylogeographic model selection are consistent with a European origin of cats in Australia. We find genetic distinctiveness of Australian mainland samples compared with Dirk Hartog Island, Flinders Island, Tasman Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island samples, and genetic similarities between some of the island populations. Historical records suggest that introduction of cats to these islands occurred at the time of European exploration and/or in connection with the pearling, whaling and sealing trades early in the 19th century. On-going influx of domestic cats into the feral cat population is apparently causing the Australian mainland populations to be genetically differentiated from those island populations, which likely are remnants of the historically introduced cat genotypes.ConclusionA mainly European origin of feral cats in Australia, with possible secondary introductions from Asia following the initial establishment of cats in Australia is reasonable. The islands surrounding Australia may represent founding populations and are of particular interest. The results of the study provide an important timeframe for the impact of feral cats on native species in Australia.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0542-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Cats have been transported as human commensals worldwide giving rise to many feral populations
Cats are the subject of this paper and as invasive domesticates may be grouped into three categories: (1) Feral cats are defined as free-living, Koch et al BMC Evolutionary Biology (2015) 15:262 independent of humans and reproducing in self-perpetuating populations
The observed heterozygosity was always lower than the expected heterozygosity (Table 1) reflecting presumably a degree of inbreeding or population substructure
Summary
Cats have been transported as human commensals worldwide giving rise to many feral populations. Over the last few hundred years the number of species invasions has increased by orders of magnitude worldwide [4, 11]. This is true of Australia [8] for which two of the 22 invasive mammalian species are predators: the European red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) [12]. (2) Stray cats, rely to some extent on human provision (typically rubbish tips). These were originally housecats that went astray and refrain from human contact. These were originally housecats that went astray and refrain from human contact. (3) Housecats and fancy breed cats that depend almost entirely on humans [13]
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