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The evolutionary mystery of the German cockroach
The species evolved to exploit human-built environments and exists nowhere else. So where did it come from?
The species' closest relative is Blattella asahinai, known commonly as the Asian cockroach, which can be found in natural environments of Sri Lanka and mainland southeast Asia. By contrast, German cockroaches appeared suddenly in the historical record in the eighteenth century in urban northern Europe, seeming to skip the trade routes from warmer climates entirely. Martin, L. J., Adams, R. I., Bateman, A., Bik, H. M., Hawks, J., Hird, S. M., Hughes, D., Kembel, S. W., Kinney, K., Kolokotronis, S.-O., Levy, G., McClain, C., Meadow, J. F., Medina, R. F., Mhuireach, G., Moreau, C. S., Munshi-South, J., Nichols, L. M., Palmer, C., … Dunn, R. R. (2015).
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