Question Could it be possible for members from different species like cats and dogs to share the same haplogroup?

[ElijahShell]

Recently thought of this wild hypothesis: although the cats(feline) and dogs(canine) we see today are two totally different species, there actually existed a common ancestor which both felines and canines descended from known as the Miacidae, or the Miacis, a small, weasel-like insect-eating mammal lived approximately 55-60 million years ago. Therefore, it is theoretically also possible for felines and canines to share the same paternal haplogroup, even if it is only for some of the members in them?

Also, since the classification of specie is mainly determined by autosomal DNA, not haplogroups, just like people from the same tribe can carried different paternal DNA despite having identical autosomal genes, members of the same specie can also carried different haplogroups from another animal even though they are still the same breed? Can some canines and felines actually carried the same haplogroup? For example, the biological classification for foxes are canids, which are basically dogs, but people always correlate foxes with cats, as we can see that the foxes indeed behave more like cats and have more similarities with cats than with dogs in many ways, such as being solitary, nocturnal, love climbing trees, etc. Could this be because foxes actually carried a haplogroup lineage from a cat-like paternal ancestor that mated with their dog-like maternal ancestors back when the two species were still both Miacidae with no reproductive isolation? If haplogroups can affect behavior, as seen in different human cultures and civilizations, maybe that is the reason why cats and dogs eventually became two different species with cats being solitary and dogs being social? Again, this is all my speculation, feel free to comment if you hold a different view for this.

 

[Jovialis]

I copy and pasted the title and body into chatgpt 4 and this was the result:

"The hypothesis you've proposed about felines and canines sharing a common paternal haplogroup is intriguing but needs to be addressed with a clear understanding of evolutionary biology and genetics.

1. **Common Ancestor and Haplogroups**: It's true that felines (cats) and canines (dogs) have a common ancestor, which is believed to be a small carnivorous mammal from the Miacidae family that lived about 55-60 million years ago. However, the concept of haplogroups as it applies to human Y-DNA or mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) doesn't translate directly to other species in the same way.

2. **Haplogroups in Different Species**: Haplogroups are essentially branches on the family tree of a particular species, traced through specific types of genetic lineages (Y-DNA in males, mtDNA in both sexes). Since cats and dogs are different species, they have diverged significantly in their evolutionary paths. This divergence means that their Y-DNA and mtDNA have also diverged, resulting in distinct haplogroups for each species.

3. **Speciation and Genetic Divergence**: The process of speciation, where one species diverges into two or more separate species, involves significant genetic changes. Over millions of years, the genetic material of the two lineages (in this case, cats and dogs) would have accumulated enough differences to prevent them from sharing the same haplogroups.

4. **Behavioral Traits and Genetic Lineage**: The idea that haplogroups could influence behavioral traits like sociality in animals is a stretch. While genetics does play a role in the behavior of species, it is a complex interplay of multiple genes and environmental factors, not just the lineage information carried in haplogroups. For instance, the behavior of foxes being somewhat cat-like doesn't necessarily imply a genetic lineage from cats; it's more likely a result of convergent evolution where unrelated species develop similar traits due to similar ecological niches or lifestyles.

In conclusion, while cats and dogs share a common ancestor, their genetic paths have diverged too much for them to share the same paternal haplogroup. The evolution of species and their behaviors is a complex and multifaceted process influenced by numerous genetic and environmental factors."

 

[ElijahShell]

I copy and pasted the title and body into chatgpt 4 and this was the result:

"The hypothesis you've proposed about felines and canines sharing a common paternal haplogroup is intriguing but needs to be addressed with a clear understanding of evolutionary biology and genetics.

1. **Common Ancestor and Haplogroups**: It's true that felines (cats) and canines (dogs) have a common ancestor, which is believed to be a small carnivorous mammal from the Miacidae family that lived about 55-60 million years ago. However, the concept of haplogroups as it applies to human Y-DNA or mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) doesn't translate directly to other species in the same way.

2. **Haplogroups in Different Species**: Haplogroups are essentially branches on the family tree of a particular species, traced through specific types of genetic lineages (Y-DNA in males, mtDNA in both sexes). Since cats and dogs are different species, they have diverged significantly in their evolutionary paths. This divergence means that their Y-DNA and mtDNA have also diverged, resulting in distinct haplogroups for each species.

3. **Speciation and Genetic Divergence**: The process of speciation, where one species diverges into two or more separate species, involves significant genetic changes. Over millions of years, the genetic material of the two lineages (in this case, cats and dogs) would have accumulated enough differences to prevent them from sharing the same haplogroups.

4. **Behavioral Traits and Genetic Lineage**: The idea that haplogroups could influence behavioral traits like sociality in animals is a stretch. While genetics does play a role in the behavior of species, it is a complex interplay of multiple genes and environmental factors, not just the lineage information carried in haplogroups. For instance, the behavior of foxes being somewhat cat-like doesn't necessarily imply a genetic lineage from cats; it's more likely a result of convergent evolution where unrelated species develop similar traits due to similar ecological niches or lifestyles.

In conclusion, while cats and dogs share a common ancestor, their genetic paths have diverged too much for them to share the same paternal haplogroup. The evolution of species and their behaviors is a complex and multifaceted process influenced by numerous genetic and environmental factors."

I see, thank you so much for the reply mate. What do you think of common haplogroups shared by subspecies within the same specie? For example Polar bears and Brown bears, African lions and Barbary or Asiatic lions, Siberian tigers and Bengal tigers, etc. Do some lions today carried the Y haplogroup from Barbary lions, so although the subspecies are extinct, their haplogroup still exists? And since lions can produce viable female offspring with tigers, it is possible for lions and tigers to share the same maternal haplogroup right? Also, it is not likely for lions to have a Y haplogroup that actually came from the ancient Panthera Atrox(American lion) and Panthera Spelaea(Eurasian Cave Lion)?