Narrator: This is Science Today. The Fertile Crescent of the Middle East has long been called the "cradle of civilization" for humans - and now, it turns out the family tree of today's domestic cat is also rooted in the same locale. Leslie Lyons, an expert on cat genetics at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, says their DNA analysis, which involved more than 11 thousand cats, is important for several reasons.

Lyons: Everyday we interact with cat breeders. One of the things we certainly want to do is look at the overall genetic variation of cat breeds - when do we think cat breeds might be getting a little inbred? So, how can we help them maintain the genetic health of their cats, which should stack the deck in their favor to keep other good health for the pets also.

Narrator: This knowledge may also lead to gene mapping projects that can benefit humans.

Lyons: We want to find the genes involved with inherited traits in cats and many of these inherited traits are also found in humans, such as polycystic kidney disease or retinal degeneration.