Dogs vs Cats: The Diversity Paradox

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!:
- 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

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
************

REFERENCES
**************

[SakamotoSan]

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

[HuslWusl]

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

[gloweye]

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

[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.

[cat]

Yes, that's an orange cat.

Cats are classified by their colours

[AschKris]

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

[first]

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

[ShawnRavenfire]

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

[strangebird]

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.

[whitemoon]

"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.

[mbartelsm]

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

[kushal]

how many cat puns do you want
narrator: yes

[raidoactiveviper]

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

[macskaproductions]

And the real reason for it: Inbreeding

[D_asin_Z]

Earth in 100 years: Beware of guard cat

[endergamer]

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

[emilyknight]

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

[uncy]

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

[KaiSub]

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

[shade]

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.