Dogs vs Cats: The Diversity Paradox

To make our work paw-sible, join us on Patreon at / minuteearth !
Different dogs look incredibly different - but that doesn't mean they are necessarily more diverse.
LEARN MORE
**************
To learn more about this topic, start your googling with these keywords:
phenotypic diversity - the range of different observable traits in a certain organism - for example, size, color, strength, and friendliness.
genetic diversity - the variation in the genetic information within and among individuals of a population or species
artificial selection (or selective breeding) - a process used by humans to develop new organisms with desirable characteristics
SUPPORT MINUTEEARTH
**************************
If you like what we do, you can help us!:
- Become our patron: / minuteearth
- Share this video with your friends and family
- Leave us a comment (we read them!)
CREDITS
*********
Kate Yoshida | Script Writer, Narrator and Director
Josh Taira | Illustration, Video Editing and Animation
Nathaniel Schroeder | Music
MinuteEarth is produced by Neptune Studios LLC
neptunestudios.info
OUR STAFF
************
Sarah Berman • Arcadi Garcia Rius
David Goldenberg • Julián Gustavo Gómez
Melissa Hayes • Alex Reich • Henry Reich
Peter Reich • Ever Salazar • Kate Yoshida
OUR LINKS
************
KZbin | / minuteearth
TikTok | / minuteearth
Twitter | / minuteearth
Instagram | / minute_earth
Facebook | / minuteearth
Website | minuteearth.com
Apple Podcasts| podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
REFERENCES
**************
Hedrick P. & Andersson L. (2011) Are dogs genetically special? Heredity 106: 712-713. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
Lampi S. et al. (2020) Variation in breeding practices and geographic isolation drive subpopulation differentiation, contributing to the loss of genetic diversity within dog breed lineages. Canine Medicine and Genetics 7(1): 1-10. cgejournal.biomedcentral.com/...
Lyons L. (2009) Recent advances in cat genetics. CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources, Volume 4. ucdavis.pure.elsevier.com/en/...
Menotti-Raymond M. et al. (2008) Patterns of molecular genetic variation among cat breeds. Genomics 91(1): 1-11. www.sciencedirect.com/science...
Ostrander E. & Wayne R. (2005) The canine genome. Genome Research 15(12):1706-16. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16339...
Parker H. et al. (2004) Genetic structure of the purebred domestic dog. Science 304: 1160-4. science.sciencemag.org/conten...
Plassais J. et al. (2019) Whole genome sequencing of canids reveals genomic regions under selection and variants influencing morphology. Nature Communications 10. www.nature.com/articles/s4146...

[@MinuteEarth]

Thanks for making us the luckiest dogs on KZbin! Want to become our Patreon or member on KZbin? Just visit www.patreon.com/MinuteEarth or click "JOIN". Thanks!

[@GS_PlayzFN]

Today is my birthday 🥳 I’m trying to get to 7k subs as a birthday gift since I don’t get any presents

[@GS_PlayzFN]

Today is my birthday 🥳 I’m trying to get to 7k subs as a birthday gift since I don’t get any presents

[@GS_PlayzFN]

F

[@trausanimation]

@@GS_PlayzFN yea doing this wont help kid try making good content to do that

[@starlightash1894]

How is this comment from 17 hours ago but the video is only like 5 minutes old?

[@HuslWusl]

"Instead of genetic differences, let's look at colored dots." I get a feeling a cat wrote this script

[@CyberCy2]

That's why there are cat puns (cat language)

[@FiensZy]

@Franca Wong A snitch

[@viiiderekae]

Cats and dogs cant see green and red Gg

[@bladeoftheruinedking2543]

@@viiiderekae e

[@joeywild2011]

This made me smile

[@SakamotoSan28]

The only breeds of cat that I know: cat and naked cat.

[@vaishnavinrao7231]

😂😂😂

[@thelionoob]

don't forget the chonky floof cat

[@sarraounia6279]

orange cat erasure 😤😤

[@nyancat.123]

Owl cat

[@thelionoob]

@@sarraounia6279 they fall under the "cat" category

[@gloweye]

> In another 100 years, perhaps our cats are as inbred as our dogs. I really hope not.

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

No, because a cat in heat is a master at escaping and there will aways be stray and feral cats with genetics that are different from your cat. Plus female cats will always mate with multiple males if the option is there, further decreasing the chance of hooking up with someone who's related. Ironically, decreasing the chances of hooking up with family members may be one of the reasons ancient humans started splitting into individual families.

[@katiepuperi3942]

i hope not too but luckily that is really unlikely excluding cat breeders because there are more feral cats than dogs so many cats are mixed breed just because a lot are found on the side of the road!

[@Joysiifly]

it already started with munchkin ctas, they have very short legs and can't jump, run, balance and hunt like other cats can

[@katiepuperi3942]

@@Joysiifly that is more of a mutation than inbreeding though; it happens in every breed of cat and it just like a disability in humans. their legs just come out a little deformed

[@Joysiifly]

@@katiepuperi3942 Well..no. "The Munchkin cat or Sausage cat[1] is a relatively new breed of cat characterized by its very short legs, which are caused by a genetic mutation. The Munchkin is considered to be the original breed of dwarf cat. Much controversy erupted over the breed when it was recognized by The International Cat Association (TICA) in 1995 with critics voicing concern over potential health and mobility issues.[2] Many pedigree cat associations around the world have refused to recognize the Munchkin cat due to the welfare of the breed and severity of the health issues,[3] including the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF).[4]"

[@stvsteve]

Please don't do to cats what you did to dogs: malformed skulls, joint problems, breathing problems, permanent pains, psychological problems... all caused because of dogbreeding.

[@Euphoros101]

True

[@Amanda-he2rr]

Exactly what I was going to comment 👍

[@jacobbellini7692]

Animal breeding is unethical. Adopt don't shop!

[@AmaraJordanMusic]

Too late. Munchkins are a good example. Adorable, but not a good idea or ethical.

[@papercut89]

@@AmaraJordanMusic Scottish fold is the same: there's no individual that doesn't suffer of horrifying pain through their whole lives just because of their folded ears. To make them floppy there is a gene that affects the cartilage and unfortunately it affects the whole body.

[@cat679]

Yes, that's an orange cat. Cats are classified by their colours

[@Julianicos]

there are 2 types of cat breeds, haired cats and hairless cats

[@zyansheep]

@@Julianicos o.O

[@woodfur00]

@@Julianicos Don't forget the long-haired ones

[@Julianicos]

@@woodfur00 those are in the haired cat category (pun intended)

[@tomlxyz]

But the color of a cat can be different to both parents. Not species like

[@AschKris]

Let's not do the damage we've done to dogs, to cats

[@professorgrimm4602]

Yes please! Overbreeding is a serious issue. Many extreme dog breeds (like pugs) suffer extensive health problems just because we humans want them to look a certain way. Leave cats alone! They are already perfect, they don't need to be overbred.

[@Yohannai]

@@professorgrimm4602 Its not even just overbreeding, its inbreeding. All those "purebloods" are the same kind of "pure" blood we saw in royalty.... incest. Because, what could _possibly_ be purer than no genetic diversity at all, _right_ ??? The lack of diversity is what helps the genetic issues to crop up, since they aren't being mixed with different genes that lack these issues. As far as I understood it in class, several years ago. Don't quote me on this.

[@Victoria-cm7yh]

Exactly! Non-pedigreed cats are already amazing in their variety!

[@nyancat.123]

Persians already exist

[@saphiriathebluedragonknight375]

@@nyancat.123 And are one of the oldest cat breeds.

[@first782]

"Breeding a giant cats" that's just making a lion with extra steps

[@mridontexist5489]

That’s just making a cougar with extra steps would be more accurate

[@jaschabull2365]

Or, at the very most, a smilodon.

[@mridontexist5489]

@@jaschabull2365 that is also inaccurate

[@jaschabull2365]

@@mridontexist5489 Huh. I thought I'd read that smilodons were considered felines, but by the looks of it, they're thought to be basal to the living felid subfamilies. Stands to reason, I guess.

[@mridontexist5489]

@@jaschabull2365 lions are part of the subfamily pantherinae. Cats which are a important topic in the video and cougars are part of the subfamily felinae and cougars are the largest members of the felinae subfamily, which is why I said it’s be more accurate to say that’s just making a cougars with extra steps rather than a lion. Smilodons are part of a subfamily that has zero living members today. Edit: the subfamilies felinae, pantherinae, machairodontinae ( which is the subfamily smilodons are part of), and proailurinae are part of the family felidae.

[@ShawnRavenfire]

Also, it's kind of hard to selectively breed cats, when cats are so skilled at sneaking out for random hook-ups.

[@first782]

Just don't let them out?

[@Mhochul]

@@first782 good luck

[@syti472]

@@first782 cats are extremely adept escape artists because they’re typically silent and can collapse their chests in to fit through small gaps. My cats have escaped a couple times and I only have two to look after. Imagine trying to keep tabs on an entire breeding population.

[@samuelMC2487]

thats why they should be desexed

[@christinagobel8968]

@@samuelMC2487 but, like... then you can't breet them

[@raidoactiveviper97]

I always wondered why cats seem to never get any smaller while dogs continue to progress in size

[@konrad6157]

Dogs getting smaller is the owners fault. Imagine owning a dog for it’s looks

[@seraphim-kpopdreamcorpsear5255]

I think you mean stature.

[@sahil7503]

'progress'

[@abigailkerr3354]

I feel like a cat the size of a mastiff would definitely eat their owner 😅 that's always been my reasoning for why we haven't bred giant cats

[@neodym5809]

@@konrad6157 Dogs were breed for different purposes, and the size was not always a fashion choice. If you want a dog that hunts foxes, you might want a size that can enter their holes (the dachshund), but if you want a dog to guard your sheep against wolfs/bears, you prefer a really big dog. But I agree, the worst you can do for a breed is to go full for its looks, no matter the health consequences.

[@1whitemoon]

"cats are very diverse" can confirm. my female calico cat had 4 kittens. each a different color, and none look like her. one came out super fluffy, unlike the others.

[@chestersnap]

I believe a litter of cats can actually have multiple fathers

[@AtarahDerek]

X-linked coat colors don't really indicate genetic diversity. In order to increase the chance that your calico will have calico daughters, breed her to a ginger tom. Ginger daughters can then be bred to a non-ginger tom, and they're likely to have calico daughters.

[@e.t.2914]

@@chestersnap You are correct about the multiple fathers.

[@stowe5668]

My white and brown fluffy cats mom was a mostly black short hair calico

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

@@chestersnap Cats are induced ovulators, which means they only ovulate AFTER or during mating. That way the chances of that male fertilizing *those* eggs are higher.

[@strangebird5974]

Considering all the health problems that several breeds of dogs contend with due to excessive breeding for specific traits, I think it would be better to not breed cats. And to let dogs mutt-ify themselves again.

[@patrickripleyiii134]

Yeah breeds should be non existent, its honestly weird and gross what we did to show dogs

[@CambieEverdeen]

Exactly this.

[@helpgirlimhavingalifecrisis]

@@patrickripleyiii134 unfortunately breeds need to exist, because certain breeds can do certain things. I think people tend to forget that most dogs with major health problems were bred for looks, not for working. Breeding dogs to be emotional support animals, seeing eyes, and for working on farms is what is good for them, not a sense of cuteness.

[@Owen_loves_Butters]

@@patrickripleyiii134 You (and the original commenter) seem to be forgetting that breeds exist for a reason. Working dogs, guard dogs, service dogs, hunting (hound) dogs, all incredibly useful. Even toy dog breeds have a purpose, and people love them. The thought of a world without beagles and huskies and pomskies and chihuahuas makes me very uncomfortable. Sadly, many breeders are irresponsible and either are careless or just want money. Pugs were bred because people found them cute, an unintended consequence was breathing problems. But millions of people have pugs, they form loving relationships and couldn’t imagine a world without them.

[@trla6505]

Breeders make a mess but only breeders can fix it

[@emilyknight5179]

So I guess the answer is; we didn’t really try with cats

[@erikasolnc]

and I would say its a good thing because some dogs have serious health problems because of this. For example pugs can barely breath.

[@Susanonwow]

No, the real reason is cats have been breeding us. With limited success.

[@MrDannyDetail]

We actively bred dogs through a lot of human history because in the past they were helpful to us. They could be bred to help us catch more small animals to feed our family group, or bred to be aggresive to outsiders as a means of protecting our family groups from rival family groups or perhaps from wild animals. If you can manage to find a helpful cat, then you are doing well, and could be at the very start of humans diversifying cats through breeding.

[@Shuhister]

No, this is not a reason. Real reason is it is hard to keep them inside because of claws. Even 2,5 meteres high brick wall may not be enough to keep ordinary domestic cat from jumping over it. And most fences are much smaller and totally jumpoverable... Dogs would go extinct...

[@MrDannyDetail]

@@Shuhister I remember being terrified as a child when my neighbour's dog succeeded in jumping over the fence between our back gardens after I and my friends had been teasing it from what we thought was the safety of my garden, so they can jump some fences if they have a mind to (though admittedly not as high as cats can). Thing about dogs though is they are usually content not to go to that effort, and are loyal enough to their owners that they don't want to leave them anyway, whereas cats have a mind of their own, and my best friend's cats have taught me that cats will escape at the first opportunity if you try to show them any sort of attention they don't want at that moment, however well meant.

[@D_asin_Z]

Earth in 100 years: Beware of guard cat

[@motazfawzi2504]

Well that will be tigers.

[@mrlloyd149]

I am uncomfortable

[@catwhite905]

Gaurd cats will have: big teeth ,razor sharp claws, Big warning hisses, as smart as lion.

[@justsomeonehere884]

@@motazfawzi2504 they would probably be extinct

[@7own878]

I will make this in a Cyberpunk book. Good idea

[@mbartelsm]

3:15 let's not put cats through the malformations we've forced onto dogs

[@yeahiknow4370]

These malformations are from a handful of breeds out of hundreds. At most giant cats would be prone to hip dysplasia which can be avoided with proper testing and breeding.

[@NoConsequenc3]

@@yeahiknow4370 of course it would work if done properly, the problem is that people don't do things properly

[@yeahiknow4370]

@@NoConsequenc3 You mean backyard breeders and greeders, right? All reputable breeders will do the necessary tests.

[@genericname8727]

@@yeahiknow4370 and backyard breeders and “greeders” still exist despite the existence of “reputable breeders”. People typically go to them because they’re cheaper, or people with ethics concerns are more likely to want to adopt. You’d need more legal regulations and enforcement of the regulations (for breeders and consumers). When it comes to dogs you’d have to ban the breeding of certain breeds too, because some are just inherently going to be unhealthy due to how people want them to look. You’d have to ensure breeding for certain cat features and specific aesthetic goals were off limits for that reason. We could just leave cats be instead. Don’t fix what ain’t broke. Screening for health issues makes sense, but just selectively breeding for a much bigger cat doesn’t.

[@yeahiknow4370]

@@genericname8727 Agreed. Backyard breeders and greeders exist because they're either uneducated on what a well-bred animal requires or that they prioritize profits over animal welfare. It's such a prevalent problem because there is nothing that prevents or deters it. No one is legally inclined to charge you for breeding a dog/cat with iffy temperament, a dodgy/unknown health record, etc. But of course, in the end, the 'big' cats are just speculative. I do think they could work, but not with our current laws and restrictions. It's far too lenient - any idiot could just breed their dog/cat (without doing the bare minimum) inconsequently.

[@kushal4956]

how many cat puns do you want narrator: yes

[@LearnGermanwithMarzipanfrau]

Haha the catastrophy would be if everyone had lions and tigers in their homes. So no thanks for breeding big cats.

[@TheSt0neK1ng]

Narrator: A full CATalog!

[@AgarioSplitrunner]

@@TheSt0neK1ng paw-ssible

[@Justiceoysters]

@@LearnGermanwithMarzipanfrau hahahahahahahahhaha

[@Justiceoysters]

@@TheSt0neK1ng hahahahahahhahahahaha

[@endergamer7483]

Dobermans: used for guarding and military service in the 40s My Doberman: is terrified of a tortoise and ate butter one time.

[@macskaproductions3234]

And the real reason for it: Inbreeding

[@trond9229]

a tried and tested method - Habsburgs

[@RedChaosScrungle]

@@trond9229 A tried and tested method -the big bird finches

[@ricksanchez3035]

Ahhh the classic artificial bottleneck effect, perfected by the Alabamans

[@joemacleod-iredale2888]

With all the broken genetic problems that come with it.

[@LeadFarmer1597]

Humans do such weird things to animals for the sake of appearance.

[@1un4cy]

giant cats but we already have lions, tigers, panthers, puma, etc.

[@TheZALGOisCOMING]

and you probably don't want any of them prowling the streets

[@thefpsgamer8597]

And they arent domestic so they'll eat you're face off

[@johndrake5975]

@@thefpsgamer8597 *your

[@frankwilliamk3769]

those arents cats

[@user-bl9yo9pz4g]

@@frankwilliamk3769 they're dogs?

[@shade9592]

The biggest issue with large domestic cats would be their hunting instinct. They've already been known to hunt and kill chickens, larger breeds will put a greater variety of animals at risk, from wild animals, to farm animals, to pets, and even children. Their hunting instincts will have to be suppressed by a lot if cats are bred to be big. The second biggest issue would be their fecundity. The ability to produce large amounts of offspring in a short amount of time affects the likely hood of having strays and ferals. Although this is already a problem with dogs and regular sized cats, large stray and feral cats would be a different problem. Currently stray and feral cats don't pose too much danger due to their size, and stray and feral dogs are a danger you can see coming, while stray and feral large cats will be a danger you don't see coming.

[@davidbodor1762]

You can select for less murderous variants when domesticating cats, people are doing this with foxes right now, selecting the friendliest ones and breeding them to create a domestic variant that they can keep as pets. It's kind of iffy in an ethics sense tho, and also why bother? Sinking time and effort into it for what purpose exactly?

[@davidjames4915]

I could go for a bobcat- or lynx-sized cat with the ability to catch the squirrels digging up my tulip and lily bulbs, to be honest. Like a cross between a lynx and a Turkish Van would be neat, as the male Vans already approach the size of smaller female lynxes. The last Van cat we had actually did catch baby squirrels but could never catch the adults, so he eventually gave up and the squirrels went back to digging up our bulbs.

[@madisondines7441]

You say that like giant, hyper-dangerous housecats are a bad thing. I consider it an opportunity to introduce dog people to a superior playmate.

[@wearelegallyrequiredtoeatd3580]

Hmmm you're right, however some people still do keep other animals as pets that still have the capability to kill animals and children ( Pitbulls and large snakes being the most known for it ) ( no I don't think Pitbulls or snakes are evil just stupid owners but you can't deny it still didn't happen ) you also have people in Florida, USA who keep alligators as pets.... I guess if we were to keep bigger cats that still have hunting instinctis you'd need a type of certificate to own it that shows you are qualified to take care of such an animal, and if the government controlled breeders as well it'd be pretty hard to get one illegally

[@edwardnygma8533]

Yeah I feel the potential for feral cats of this size is the biggest issue. Like having a small tiger roaming around suburbs, alleys, and out in the sticks, but there's a shit ton of them.

[@KaiSub]

The reason cats are all so similar is because cats are perfect already.

[@metafox6942]

bruh why is almost every cat person believing such stupid things

[@metafox6942]

and why do you think that?

[@metafox6942]

plus the perfect "mutation" isn't the cat but the crab

[@KaiSub]

@@metafox6942 You know you can edit your comment right? You don't have to bombard me with them

[@metafox6942]

@@KaiSub ik but that's just about 2-3 comments with not really the same subject

[@tetsusiega2]

It’s because the larger breeds of cats aren’t what we would consider “pets”. There’s lots of different kinds of cats...it’s just that most of them would like to know what you taste like.

[@Umbraminf]

Actualy those "bigger cats" aren't the same species as the usualy seen on the streets, it's just a name, and only in English. They are Felines not actual cats.

[@idonthaveaname8164]

They cannot produce fertile offsprings. I wouldn't call them breeds of the same specie.

[@adityapathak5761]

Tiger King disagrees

[@ASHERUISE]

@@Umbraminf That's the same thing. And everyone knows they aren't the same species as house cats, but they're still giant cats.

[@elhammo7478]

@@Umbraminf They are actual cats, just not domestic cats, which is its own species (felis domesticus). Look up the definition for "cat."

[@beardiemom]

3:29 we also might want to consider the ramifications of doing to cats what we did to dogs and breed genetic diseases into them, vastly reducing their lifespan and quality of life. Oh, actually, we've done that already; it's called the munchkin cat and it suffers from a form of dwarfism that severely heightens its risk of spinal injury.

[@bb-gb7jv]

The breeds of cats I know Black cats Naked cats Ginger cats Siamese cats Fat cats

[@vaishnavinrao7231]

😂😂😂

[@christinjoy1402]

Tiger cat lion cat leopard cat cheetah cat jaguar cat puma cat lot of cats

[@bb-gb7jv]

@@christinjoy1402 those are big cat species

[@nyancat.123]

I _________ how you say "you are born with obesity" Black cats are technically a breed (bombay) I wouldn't be so sure about ginger cats.

[@MrX-tm8fy]

@@christinjoy1402 what about ligers?

[@7chanconn7]

What about the paradox that people can normally identify and name like 20 different dog breeds but don't even know a single cat breed. I'm definitely one these people

[@kinguin7]

I'm probably biased, but I know many people who have picked out a specific breed of dog. I know maybe one person who chose their cat breed. Personally, my cats are from a dumpster I think (via a rescue), and a crackhead's car (via a friend) so....

[@MsBlulucky]

They said it in the video: The behaviour differs a lot with different dog breeds. Meanwhile cats want to cuddle and kill you, not matter what breed 🤷 Btw my cat is looking at me right right now as if she's already planning my death ...nope, my bad, she just wanted some love

[@phoenixfritzinger9185]

And it’s probably Sphynx or Persian

[@ps.2]

Guess you're not from Persia, or Maine, or Siam. (:

[@kneelessnightcat9164]

SOME CAT VARIANTS I KNOW: Oriental shorthair (and longhair variant), sphinx cat, colorpoint or siammeise, munchkin, domestic shorthair (and longhair), maine coon, bengal cat, norweigean forest cat, somali, abyssian.

[@SparkyCas]

I got one turtleshell cat that's basically, a catdog kind of cat. She kinda of acts dog-like and she likes to talk/meow with us due to our human interaction and all that, guess pets really inherit some kind of similar traits to owners x)

[@violetskiy854]

It's a tortoiseshell cat, sorry I'm very nitpicky. Maine coons are also a catdog type of cat

[@SparkyCas]

@@violetskiy854 Esma (name of my cat) is sorta this tortoiseshell and tabby kind of cat, and I think tabby tend to be very catdog which I find that very interesting

[@violetskiy854]

@@SparkyCas yes Tabby's are one of the most sociable and they are usually very friendly

[@JonathanKAKE]

my friend has a cat who plays fetch

[@LShaver947]

I have a cinnamon oriental shorthair

[@MAG123PL]

watched a video a while back saying that dogs dont differ so much in character even though they look so different, its much more us humans interpreting the character of a dog because of its visual appearance and also treating it like that. Which kinda makes use shape the dogs character according to how we see him.

[@marcopohl4875]

"Is breeding giant cats worth it?" HUGE CUDDLEBUDDIES!

[@scienceium5233]

Yes !!!!!

[@upphgm]

It would be awesome! A pet cat with the size of a lion! Sweet!

[@BonaparteBardithion]

Reviews of the Maine Coon and similar large breeds concur.

[@fairytail2484]

One false swipe and I'd be a goner.

[@marcopohl4875]

@@fairytail2484 yeah, but HUGE CUDDLEBUDDIES!

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

"Their CATegories are less well-defined" You could say that cat pun was PURRfect

[@sophieyu2697]

yeah it was pawesome and furrtastic as well as rather infurriating and ruff for those who don't like puns

[@theperfectmix2]

Spotted

[@kaamn1829]

Lol, you don't gato get all crazy. Keep it non-chat-lant.

[@sparkthegirl]

how are you in every single video

[@kaamn1829]

@@sparkthegirl who?

[@Kingdeathtrooper]

I've always wondered how dogs can look drastically different and be called the same thing, just dogs; while crocodiles and alligators are called COMPLETELY different things due to one having a slightly pointier nose than the other, a tooth that goes in a different direction, and being bigger.

[@yeahiknow4370]

Dogs -> species, and breed is used to differentiate them. Alligators and crocs are both crocodilians which is also used to class crocs, alligators, caimans, gharials and extinct specimens under the same group. They are all separated because they're too genetically different and can't interbreed. Dogs, however, can interbreed with each other. A chihuahua can breed with a mastiff (not recommended, but it's possible) and so on. A border collie isn't a different species from a terrier, for example. "Dog" is just used to describe all domestic canines that humans have selectively bred that can all interbreed. Wolves, coyotes etc. whilst being able to interbreed with dogs, aren't classed as dogs because they're not domesticated.

[@charlotteweir4955]

cause every single breed is still a canine. their still the same species.

[@donaldasayers]

The domestic cats that have gone feral in Australia have grown really big.

[@chestersnap]

Giant cats are terrifying and I say that despite loving my 3 cats

[@muhammadfazlurrahman4929]

Dog owner when someone guess what species his dog is nooo, you stupid, it was..........( saying a really long name ) Cat owner when someone guess what species his cat is Hmmm..... I don't know, maybe an orange cat?

[@yazunakarmi3315]

Breed*

[@Okuni_]

well all dogs are Canis lupus familiaris

[@chestersnap]

Domestic shorthair. If you're in the US something stupid like 95% of all cats are domestic short hair and they're really common in the rest of the world, too. Mostly because it's as much a specific breed as "mutt" would be to dogs

[@leakingamps2050]

There are a few distinct breeds though. I love Mane Coons. So cuddly.

[@cookie856]

​@@chestersnap Wait until you heard about "europeans", who are basically "Cats who don't share traits with others breeds and could pass for wild cats in form and having any colors" Aka : strays with extra-steps. At least, where I live.

[@sameppink9401]

A friend recently asked what breed my cat was.. I was like, “idk just cat”

[@Victoria-cm7yh]

Purebred, 100% cat!

[@inesfelix9693]

"Instead of genetic differences, let's look at colored dots." Me: Okay thanks

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

People like cats, and people like dogs it's a shame people fight over my creations instead of simply appreciating the fact either one exists

[@scienceium5233]

Hi but you are not god , you kill people in DPRK

[@AbdulGoodLooks]

@@scienceium5233 *Sciencium was found dead in his chair with 3 bullets in the back of his head.* *Court ruled it as suicide*

[@scienceium5233]

@@AbdulGoodLooks Kim jong un shot down ruled murder

[@kaamn1829]

Wow, thank you so much sir. 🤣🤣🤣

[@yeahiknow4370]

Well said, dictator Kim Jong-un.

[@doodelay]

Ah, youtube, answering questions I never thought to ask

[@AlexVSharp]

"Just look what we (humans) done to wolves!"

[@yourmomuglysi9505]

@Alina Waterstraat yeah its weird. i only find the medium/large sized dogs "dog-like" german sheperd, huskies, border collies, golden retrievers, etc

[@kibathefang6022]

I'm more surprised about cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower being the same vegetable originally but artificially selected to eventually be so different from each other.

[@DallasMay]

Person one: Let's breed a giant cat! Person two: It would be easier just to buy a tiger. Same difference.

[@theperfectmix2]

Giant cats would be friendlier than tigers.

[@Kingdeathtrooper]

@@theperfectmix2 Normal cats aren't friendly! Just think of the ego boost they're going to get when giving them a size boost.

[@jaschabull2365]

Tigers don't purr, though. Cougars are the closest thing to a "giant cat" actually out there, and those aren't domestic.

[@mridontexist5489]

@@jaschabull2365 a cheetah is also close, they are also more domesticable though they are also endangered

[@yeahiknow4370]

@@mridontexist5489 Ancient Egyptians have tried to domesticate cheetahs, but they were too nervous when it came down to breeding. It's hard to breed cheetahs naturally. If we tried to domesticate them, we'd have to rely on A.I (very invasive and questionable) for many generations until they're confident enough.

[@STANNco]

also worth noting that dog breeding as far as i know anyway comes with a plethora of bad side effects and medical problems for the dogs. So maybe we should chill it with the cat breeding, unless we are careful

[@HisameArtwork]

well munchkins have back problems but nobody seems to care.

[@Rabcup]

Agreed

[@neodym5809]

If you breed just for the looks this happens. It is the fault of dog shows

[@yonatanbeer3475]

This is also why Eugenics is a terrible idea

[@MrMeszaros]

@@yonatanbeer3475 Yeah! Before everyone wanted a german shepherd, stories tell, that every 10th or so generation they let wolves breed with one to keep the gene pool diverse enough to mask bad recessive ones. Then everyone started inbreeding for cashmoney without knowledge of breeding, and you have Your bad hindlegged ones with hip problems.

[@KnowArt]

When the video has so many puns that there are non left for in the comments...

[@DeinocheirusWithAGun]

Then reuse them

[@DeinocheirusWithAGun]

Don't worry it wasn't impawssibly bad

[@shaider1982]

I think what some German scientists trying to breed back the Auroch (a large extinct breed of cattle) in ww2 is an application of what happened to dogs: outwardly, it will looks like the extinct cattle but inside, it will be similar to other bovine.

[@prestons3400]

If you want to support minute earth laugh at their puns

[@sorcierenoire8651]

haha

[@lynnrolaf7422]

The Giant cat scenario had me going a completely different direction...giant Litter Boxes 😆🤣😂

[@danilooliveira6580]

I was hoping to hear mentions about the Polydactyl cats from north America. where people seem to intentionally breed the trait on the cats there, making polydactylism a very common trait in the region.

[@ccondelli]

The giant cat at the end of the video is definitely in BloodClan. Also, fascinating video! I love how you guys related it to human genetic diversity too :)

[@eduadelarosa]

Excellent video. But I'd like to know where does the value of 0.4% in cats comes from. Because from what I've read -and in fact, according to the article in the description- cats exhibit less genetic distance between breeds (average pairwise Fst=0.17) than dog breeds (apFst=0.33). Still, the fixation index just speaks for population structure, but I haven't found any other metrics such as percent identity which is more in line with the percentages shown in the vid. Thanks!

[@eliasabdala4982]

I don't know about you, but I want a Lion size cat in my house.

[@johnrebosantos5989]

a lion size cat would just be a lion

[@adrianblake8876]

@@johnrebosantos5989 It would be more of a puma...

[@SilveryBlue1010]

The will eat a lot more than normal size cat. And imagine all the crap and piss you need to handle. Also beware for your funiture, cause they'll knock it all down. lol..

[@seneca983]

Why not a tiger-sized cat?

[@davidjames4915]

I wouldn't want a lion-sized cat in my house, but I could go for a lynx-sized domestic cat with the ability to catch those pesky squirrels.

[@KohuGaly]

I've played dwarf fortress. I can confirm breeding cats and encountering giant cats is no joke. They are good ammunition for catapults though...

[@nessesaryschoolthing]

Haha, CATapults

[@bootblacking]

"lol 2 cat"

[@The7thLysineinyourDNA]

1:09 Regular people: * does it in an orderly way * Me: GO CRAZY!

[@snakewithapen5489]

We used dogs for so many different jobs, from hunting to guarding to pulling carts. The only job we used cats for is hunting pests, and as it turns out, their natural shape is perfectly ideal for that already. Everything else we managed to change is just aesthetic.

[@sve_sve]

Cats are very diverse My cat - but we are still friends ?

[@PythonPlusPlus]

3:22 Have you heard of a thing called big cats? They already exist, and we don’t have to breed them.

[@pedropedrohan102]

are you like serious or are you talking about those cats

[@PythonPlusPlus]

@@pedropedrohan102 Your question makes little sense. What are you referring to when you say “those cats”?

[@pedropedrohan102]

@@PythonPlusPlus those cats

[@sophieyu2697]

Cat-egories? You've got to be kitten me. I've got a bone to pick with you for that one.

[@mrmimeprime4149]

Nice one...

[@galactorsus_i.n.c]

That was clawsome, u really imPURRessed me, I'd say it were furrtastic jokes

[@shadowbadger5332]

Don't forget cat-astrophe.

[@sophieyu2697]

Thanks for all the other puns :3 They're really pawesome and they helped my ruff day!

[@Think_Inc]

😂

[@mareebee7046]

I think cats are purrfect just the way they are. I’m pretty satisfied with the breeds now. And a cat the size of like a Doberman would be terrifying. (Even though I’m a cat person)

[@ambulocetusnatans]

If I had the time and the money, I'd collect the cats with the biggest canine teeth and breed them together to make a miniature saber tooth tiger.

[@monkestronk1227]

Breaking news: Local guy on a cow killing spree with his trusty cat

[@samuelromero5786]

@@monkestronk1227 local guy

[@jaschabull2365]

Can we call them "smolodons"?

[@liviasilva3333]

i think there is already a breed that is like that

[@ambulocetusnatans]

@@jaschabull2365 That's a beautiful idea! If I ever do it, you get one free!

[@Adelphos12]

My brain: The dots are crooked!

[@daniellewilson8527]

How can circles be crooked?

[@rogersledz6793]

Thank you so much for uploading this video. It is helping me get through the pandemic!

[@psicologiajoseh]

This was very informative and enjoyable to watch. Thank you!

[@theonlygalama]

Great vid! Would've also loved a small segment about the Soviet research with foxes! Oh wel!! Not everything can be included ofcourse. But I very enjoyed the video!

[@0OB08O]

Yesterday was the World Cat's Day.

[@lavaknight3682]

Hey ME, could you link the music in the description? It’s a really nice and relaxing song that I’d like for reading or something. Other than that, great video!

[@DankPit]

This question has puzzled me since my earliest days. Thanks!

[@Sciencedoneright]

3:38 feel-ine XDDDDD

[@bhukiYT]

hey team, i´ve got twenty new cat and dog puns, can we make a video around it? - no problem, that´s purrfect :)

[@oxygenanimations]

Now, a new video from my favorite science channel!

[@Radi_vvanker]

Woah I’ve been thinking about this for years, what a vid. Ty!

[@ethribin4188]

Why? Cause we selectivy bred them for millenia

[@theprimest]

If you're reading this you have potential to create great things. Yes. You.

[@Sugondees]

If you're reading this, you can read things. Yes. You.

[@Vador-ft5xo]

Stfu

[@Sci_X1]

Shut up I’m watching minute earth

[@biggaylol5438]

like beggar :)

[@scptime1188]

Very good example of the difference between phenotypes and genotypes

[@TaliesinMyrddin]

If I didn't know any better I'd think that "and this and this and this" art was Hairy McLary from Donaldson's Dairy

[@DominikJaniec]

2:10 cat-egories 👌

[@Myrtle2911]

We already do have giant "cats." Living with a tiger is ill-advised. A mastiff-sized domestic cat would probably be just as bad.

[@blobbertmcblob4888]

A cat is not the same as a tiger. A mastiff sized cat would still act like a cat.

[@dianachen2849]

@MinuteEarth Would Josh Taira (Illustration, Video Editing and Animation) be open to sharing the tools they use to animate awesome videos like this? It's very engaging and cleanly done! :)

[@JohnDoe-gb6co]

Love your puns, keep making amazing videos

[@leemer2195]

In Asia, we called giant cat as tiger

[@barnabypine7717]

fold is different to times... fold is more representative of 2^(fold)... imagine folding a piece of paper in half 5 times (5 Fold) you would end up with 32 layers of paper. Great content love the channel I've learned so much from you, I thought you could learn a thing from me :) x

[@WeeklyLexi]

THIS WILL HELP NG DOCUMENTARY SO MUCH!!! I WILL CREDIT YOUUU

[@riceicles64]

Classic, just because you can doesn’t mean you should...

[@dragonbretheren]

"A cat is just a tiny tiger that lives in your home." -CGPGrey

[@galactorsus_i.n.c]

lol

[@sudiptaranade2216]

Haha

[@IanD.]

Wow, I always wonder what's the difference between species and breeds and this video answered it all. And this Brassica oleracea is mind blowing. I didn't know cauliflower and cabbage are the same species

[@lethargogpeterson4083]

Seeing the plants toward the end, corn/maize is also very different, at least outwardly/phenotypically (not sure about genetically) from its closest wild relative.

[@TheAlps36]

"Domestic dogs are surprisingly un-diverse in the DNA department" well that's what happens with inbreeding

[@conco6564]

The video: publish 14 secs ago Minutesearth comment:16 hours ago

[@holom2076]

It was a private vid before

[@sagacious03]

Neat video. Thanks for uploading!

[@JonathanKayne]

3:10 would vinis vinefera (wine grapes) fall in that category too?

[@qwertz12345654321]

That's why differences in means are often unimportant or even misleading. Means should always be coupled with standard deviations to draw conclusions.

[@jivejunior8753]

Are we not going to talk about how screwed up it is to breed animals to our liking, despite the health issues?

[@helsiclife]

I was about to comment that. Breeds are such a horrible thing to do to animals. Just look at pugs struggling to breathe...

[@merthur8011]

אתם מדהימים, והסירטונים שלכם מלמדים ומעשירים לי את הידע פשוט מקסימים!🥰😘😘😘

[@aaronshrestha2450]

This is the first time I ever got this quick in the channel

[@nswanberg]

We already have giant cats. They are called tigers and lions.

[@GIAGreenFire]

and panthers, cheetahs, jaguars, bobcats...

[@jacobyboyer3681]

I'm with Stafan, lets make sure that we don't mess with cats like we did dogs. I like my Cattos good and healthy.

[@andy-kg5fb]

I got both minute physics and earth notification at the same time so had to chose one over the other. ( I chose minute physics as it was a live stream.)

[@james4thedoctor482]

In the description, your link to your Patreon accidentally included the "!" so it takes you to the wrong page.

[@pepkin88]

This video could use some EQ to soften those high pitched hisses.

[@FSXgta]

De-esser

[@MattzDaTerrarian]

R.I.P my cat, by the way good video

[@nishantp2334]

Press 'F' to pay respect

[@samstark568]

I'm sorry about that.

[@BG-kd8jd]

Dude, I can relate. The sadness will be over in about 4 weeks depending on how long you have had your cat. It has been almost a year, but I am still quite sad about my cat's death, but also happy that I had that particular cat. He did so much cute and I loved him :D

[@self-proclaimednimwit2263]

F, sorry about your loss.

[@Pantagana]

40 fold doesn't mean 40 times. A fold means double (think of it like folding a piece of paper), so 1 fold = 2 times, 2 fold = 4 times, 40 fold = 2^40 times. I'm just trying to correct this, but every time I post it under any video it gets ignored.

[@MrAskmannen]

Isn't this mostly caused by more or less every dog species being descendent from the gray wolf, while domestic cats are descended form more different species?

[@animalswithtomek4188]

Glad it was not about the neverending war between doglovers vs catlovers;)