Biologist Jonathan Losos on ‘How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa’

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KQED

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.2 • 726 Ratings

🗓️ 3 May 2023

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Does your cat’s cry for food sound different from its meow for attention? How come Mr. Whiskers is “making biscuits” on your belly? Evolution may provide clues as to why, writes biologist Jonathan Losos. Losos made his career studying lizards, but he’d pet cats every chance he got. And his new book, “The Cat’s Meow,” applies an evolutionary lens to the domesticated pet, exploring why they — yes — meow, but also trill, howl, growl, hiss, snarl, purr and chirp. It also looks at where outdoor cats like to prowl and whether our cats are really that different from lions and tigers. Losos joins us to share more about our feline friends. Guests: Jonathan Losos, distinguished professor of biology, Washington University in St. Louis - and author, "The Cat's Meow: How Cats Evolved from the Savanna to Your Sofa" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:00.0	Support for KQED Podcasts comes from Landmark College, commemorating 40 years of educating people who learn differently, with programs on campus and online for both students and professionals.
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0:31.1	From KQED.
0:43.3	From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Mina Kim. Today on Forum, the humble, or maybe not so humble, house cat.
0:48.3	Evolutionary biologist Jonathan Lawsus says, sure, they may be domesticated,
0:53.3	but there's still a lot of wild in them,
0:55.8	which might explain why their behaviors can be hard to decipher, even intimidating to some.
1:00.8	But Losses has unraveled many of their secrets.
1:03.7	So this hour, we want to hear about all the weird and wonderful things your feline friends do.
1:09.1	We'll try to tell you why.
1:10.8	Join us. I wish try to tell you why. Join us.
1:12.8	I wish I could be as
1:14.8	Kevin one.
1:16.0	I got cat class and I got
1:19.0	cat style. Welcome to Forum. I'm Mina Kim. For a long time, evolutionary biologist Jonathan Lawsus
	...

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