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Biology What, biologically, is a cat?

Jabberwocky

Jabberwocky

Frumious Bandersnatch
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Nov 3, 1999
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chinup said:
Or, more broadly, what does it mean to be a specific species?

I'd really like it if some developmental biologist could just come and tell us the answer.

But until then, here's my 2C:

  • Genomic content with adequate fidelity to the genomic structure required for most of the functionality that cats typically do. Not all, its fine if your cat hasn't got eyes or something due to a genetic defect.
  • All of the vital organs, don't need to be there from birth, feline transplant patients are obviously cats. I think are certain stage of development must have been reached for the transformation to cathood to occur. I'm less certain about this than the above.

This came out of an unproductive discussion in CEPS regarding abortion. I don't want to go there again which is why I'm asking about cats (but if there's a reason it wouldn't be analogous for humans, then please tell me). I'd like to know what differentiates a cat, from a scientific perspective from earlier developmental stages. This is required to avoid regress to the embryonic genome activation.

I know its a blurry line and there is no set answer, but there must be proposals from people working in related fields but I don't know how to find out what they are.
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Hmm.

Can anyone here fundamentally prove that I myself am not a cat?

A human with several genetic mutations is still a human. I am... a few hundred (?) mutations away from a cat's DNA. How many mutations does it take before something is no longer designated their original supposed species?

I may appear human, but I might be a cat who mutated enough times to appear human, but still a cat (!?).

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all i know is a cat isnt a dog , but please dont tell my cat this, she is a dog lover but she does have a kitten dangling from a rope poster , thats says hang in there to boost her moral in her dog house, a whos saved who sticker on her dog bowl, she fetches , stretches and farts so i have someone to blame
 
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Robi said:
Jim Carrey Alrighty Then GIF by Ace Ventura
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When our first doggy died
we started taking our kitty on long campouts
he let us know about 3 bears
a mt lion a couple bobcats, wolves, coyotes and numerous deer / elk
(he loved the elk along with all the hoodoo bears)

When it was his time at 23 yrs we let him wander off into those giant hollowed tree stumps in the Hoh



Best kitty ever
Bronson was his name

... and that was what we could see during daylight
 
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Jerry Atrick said:
To be a cat means you can fall from several stories up and still land on your feet, duh.

Must have something to do with equilibrium in the ear canal or something.
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Yes it's a factory part I believe except you only get one, it's irreplaceable and it only works 9 times too so I've always heard lol
 
i knew that if we got our best minds to it we'd make swift progress.

so far we have:
- cats are gods (correct)
- white cats are egg whites
- cats have some special skills in falling

also, afaik, cat is the only species that has its name in its DNA, it has sections that just go CATCATCATCATCAT, some humans have this if their name is CAT but it doesn't hold in general.

here's some kitten pictures for you guys:


are these cats?
 
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