A study by UWF’s John Bratten focuses on feline remains uncovered from a 1559 shipwreck in Pensacola Bay—the earliest cat to be archaeologically discovered in the U.S. The results provide a glimpse into shipboard life during one of the earliest European colonization efforts in the New World.

“By reviewing other archaeological reports, we were able to trace the spread of cats in the Americas up to 1760,” says Bratten. “Their arrival and spread mirrors European settlement with the use of ships.” Isotopic analysis shows that the cat likely had a diet rich in fish and domestic meats rather than rodents, suggesting cats on early transatlantic voyages may have been seen not only as pest controllers but also as pets.

• John Bratten