Evolutionary Biologists Say Cats Are Nearly Perfect Creatures and Are Nature’s Masterpiece

Cats are always perceived as cold and a pet that does not always display affection in the same way as dogs do. Most of the time, that idea is wrong; however, stereotypes are often based on simplified truths. There is a reason why cats act like that, and maybe it’s because, according to one evolutionary biologist, they are almost perfect creatures of nature. Let’s find out why and how.

What Makes Cats So Special

Evolutionary biologist Dr. Anjali Goswami from the Natural History Museum in London said cats are near-perfect creatures and science can prove it, not just cat moms. First of all, when we say cats, we are talking about the feline family Felidae, which includes house cats, tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, and more.

So why are cats so special, and why would an evolutionary biologist come to the conclusion that they are almost perfect beings? It is because for millions of years, cats have changed very little, no matter if they are the domesticated cats we know of today, or the wild tigers and lions in the jungle.

Even the shape of the skull of house cats and tigers is remarkably the same. These creatures can be found in almost every single part of the world, from cities and jungles to icy mountains and deserts, and they all remain relatively not far from each other.

Think of it in the same way an evolutionary biologist would. If nature did not change cats that much during millions of years, and they have survived and thrived in almost any environment, doesn’t that mean that they have achieved evolutionary perfection? Like, why would cats need to evolve more if they are already doing good in any place they end up in? In other words, Dr. Goswami sees it as a sign that they got it right, evolutionarily speaking.

Read more: Scientific American

Built to Hunt: The Science of Precision

How did cats evolve?

Throughout any place and environment in the world, cats’ body structures have remained consistent. They evolved to have sharp slicing teeth and strong jaw muscles, both designed to be able to eat meat. Also, unlike other meat-eating animals, they do not have extra grinding teeth, which means they are 100% focused on hunting as their main source of food

Their bodies, whether the smaller cats or the biggest of them all, are all built for stealth and power. The consistency in their designs as living, breathing organisms tells us that evolutionarily, they are suited to be top predators.

Most animal species will vary a lot in their body structures to evolve to survive different challenges. However, cats arrived at a different conclusion. They succeeded by staying the same, because it works. Their balance and form as a species allowed them to coexist with one another without competing too much.

Read more: Dynamic Ecology

Why This Matters

Understanding why cats can be considered as perfect creatures evolutionarily is important for us to know how we should evolve as a species, too. It gives us insights that simplicity can be powerful.

This is a unique insight that challenges the belief that more variety is always better in evolution. After all, the more diversity there is of an animal species, the likelier that they will be able to adapt to various challenges. But nature reminded us that it could also focus on honing one design to almost perfection, as seen with cats throughout the years.

Evolution's Strangest Achievement: The Perfect Predator

Author's Final Thoughts

Cats are rare in nature, which is probably why Dr. Goswami said they are perfect. Simply because they found one great way to live, and then they stuck with it for millions of years. They are teaching us that sometimes being consistent and specialized in one area can be our way to be more successful, rather than constant change.

Read more: Agate Rock Sitting in a Museum Turns Out to Be a 60-Million-Year-Old Dinosaur Egg