How Rats Were Introduced to America
WouterWhether rats were brought to America from other places is not entirely clear. However, certain studies suggest that the earliest mammals used in laboratory research were rats. These early rats, such as the albino variety, were widely used for dietary research. In the late 1800s, they were used for a variety of other studies. These rats were derived from rat-baiting activities. In the early 1900s, Henry H. Donaldson developed the first laboratory inbred rat strains.
In the late 1700s, an English rat catcher named Jack Black first caught a white rat in the wild. He later found a variety of black color morphs in the area of Regent Street in London and began breeding them with a view to selling them internationally. Eventually, he sold 300 fancy rats to a French buyer.
The brown rat has a fascinating evolutionary history. It evolved into the domesticated form we know today. It was originally from East Asia and was introduced to Europe and North America on ships. This means that it was a species that was already adapted to high populations before humans arrived. It also has a long history of survival after the mercenaries left.
The brown rat is native to northern China and northern Mongolia. International trade brought brown rats to nearly every continent except Antarctica. Over the centuries, these animals evolved into a symbiotic species with humans. They can build elaborate burrows and communicate through vocalization and visual posturing.
