dogs and cats, living together...

...mass domestication!! Some interesting links from the Reality-Based Community concerning the timing of domestication of dogs and cats.

This one cites a date of 100k-15k years ago for dogs (with the author thinking 13k), while this one supports the 15k. (100k is the date wolves and dogs diverged, which could have happened through normal natural selection.) As for cats, looks like it's about 12k years ago.

But RBC also includes a cool link to Kipling's "The Cat Who Walks By Himself", about how Woman domesticated all the animals (including Man), but the Cat was the only one able to bargain on its own terms and retain some independence. Could be a cute read to go with Diamond.

Diamond refuted?

Looks like you can domesticate hippos after all! Jared Diamond turns over in his grave. (He's not dead? Oh, uhh..)