The genus name in scientific taxonomy for smaller wild cats, including the European wildcat and African wildcat.
Latin word for cat, used directly as the scientific genus name by Linnaeus in the 18th century. This is the root from which the word 'feline' ultimately derives.
The genus Felis is the direct ancestor of your house cat—the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) was domesticated about 10,000 years ago when humans started storing grain and attracting rodents, and cats saw an easy meal.
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