Jonathan Losos: The Cat’s Meow

Watching America

Do lions and tigers meow? Why does your cat keep leaving dead mice on the doorstep? From ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics to the vast array of modern cat breeds, the world has always had a unique relationship with cats. This week we are entering their fascinating world, with an evolutionary biologist as our guide. Jonathan Losos is an evolutionary biologist at Washington University and the founding director of the Living Earth Collaborative, a unique biodiversity center and partnership between Washington University, the Saint Louis Zoo and the Missouri Botanical Garden. But he is also a cat lover! His new book — aptly titled “The Cat’s Meow,” — explores how researchers today are unraveling the secrets of cats, past and present, using all the tools of modern technology, from GPS tracking and genomics to forensic archaeology.