The Common Genet (Genetta Genetta) in Europe: A Biological and Ecocritical Analysis

The case of the Common Genet (Genetta genetta; Mammalia, Carnivora) shows how comparative literature, using ecocriticism as a framework, can work in combination with natural science to address and solve some enigmas related to the presence of the species in Europe. This paper shows how literary analysis can provide appropriate answers for questions planned in the field of biology. Three interconnected issues will be addressed: the origin of the genet in Europe; the cases of albinism and melanism in genets and the putative use of the species as a kind of cat in human environments. Biogeography and genetics suggest that the genet was brought to Europe by human beings, ignoring the questions of who, when, with what specific aim, and with what consequences. Biological arguments will be exposed, followed by those of comparative literature that support the science and/or suggest additional options. Thus, natural science and comparative literature enrich and complement each other in order to perform this complex case study.