Question

What is the earliest known ancestor of the domestic cat? 

Answer 1

The earliest known ancestor of the domestic cat is the African wildcat, Felis silvestris lybica. This species is believed to have lived in the Middle East and North Africa for thousands of years before being domesticated by humans.

Answer 2

Domesticated cats all come from wildcats called Felis silvestris lybica that originated in the Fertile Crescent in the Near East Neolithic period and in ancient Egypt in the Classical period.