Abstract
The geographic origin and migration of the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) remain subjects of considerable debate. In this study, we sequenced whole genomes of 110 wild brown rats with a diverse world-wide representation. We reveal that brown rats migrated out of southern East Asia, rather than northern Asia as formerly suggested, into the Middle East and then to Europe and Africa, thousands of years ago. Comparison of genomes from different geographical populations reveals that many genes involved in the immune system experienced positive selection in the wild brown rat.
Highlights
A detailed understanding of the geographic origin of wild rodents and their subsequent dispersal routes across the globe has important implications in clarifying the spread of diseases and human migration (Matisoo-Smith and Robins 2004; Lin et al 2012)
Genome-Scale Sequencing of Wild Brown Rats Drawn from across the World In the present study, to systematically explore the geographic origin and dispersal routes of the brown rat, a total of 117
The species status of these R. norvegicus was initially determined by morphology and further confirmed based on cytochrome b sequences by Sanger sequencing
Summary
A detailed understanding of the geographic origin of wild rodents and their subsequent dispersal routes across the globe has important implications in clarifying the spread of diseases and human migration (Matisoo-Smith and Robins 2004; Lin et al 2012). We sequenced whole genomes of 110 wild brown rats drawn from diverse geographic locations and reveal that brown rats migrated out of southern East Asia, rather than northern Asia as formerly suggested, into the Middle East and to Europe and Africa.
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