RADseq of domestic cats, Asian leopard cats, and domestic cat hybrids

The Bengal cat breed was developed from intercrosses between the Asian leopard cat, Prionailurus bengalensis, and the domestic cat, Felis catus, with a last common ancestor approximately 6 million years ago. Predicted to derive ~94% of their genome from domestic cats, regions of the leopard cat genome are thought to account for unique pelage traits and ornate color patterns of the Bengal breed, which are similar to those of ocelots and jaguars. We used restriction-assisted reduced representation (RADseq) whole genome sequencing to explore ancestry distribution, detect selection signatures, and to determine the genetic and molecular basis of several pelage traits in the Bengal cat breed.