Cats have played a huge role in the evolution of dogs

For awhile now, animal lovers have been divided in a debate: are they dog lovers or are they cats lovers?

Science has recently declared felines as the winners, at least in the broadest evolutionary terms.

An international team of scientists has published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and found that cats have been much better at surviving than dogs.

The researchers examined 2,000 ancient fossils to see how extinction rates were affected by factors such as: body mass evolution, climate change, and competition from other species.

The findings show that cats significantly contributed to the extinction of as many as 40 dog species.

Apparently, cats were more efficient predators and out competed many dogs for food.

“The arrival of cats to North America had a deadly impact on the diversity of the dog family,” the report’s lead author, Dr. Daniele Silvestro told Science Daily. “We usually expect changes in climate to play the overwhelming role in the evolution of species. Instead, competition among different carnivore species proved to be even more important for dogs.”

The dog family, which includes wolves and coyotes, reached their maximum diversity in North America 22 million years ago. At their peak, there was more than 30 species roaming the land.

The arrival of cats from Asia, however, prompted a dramatic decline among the dog population. By contrast, evidence shows that dogs haven’t wiped out a single cat species.

It’s unclear how the cats managed to decimate the wild dog population, however, the researchers point to their “retractable claws” as a potential cause.

At present, only nine species of the dog family remain in North America.