TED-Ed - The history of the world according to rats - Max G. Levy
The narrative begins with Jack Black, a famous rat catcher in 1851 London, illustrating the long history between humans and rats. Rats, particularly the brown and black species, have been around for millions of years, adapting to various climates and living alongside humans. They spread globally through trade routes, with black rats reaching Europe around 300 CE, contributing to the spread of diseases like the Black Death. However, brown rats eventually displaced black rats due to their adaptability. The Industrial Revolution further facilitated their proliferation in urban environments. In 1906, rats became crucial to scientific research, particularly in neuroscience and psychology, due to their physiological similarities to humans. Despite efforts to control them, rats remain a pervasive and resilient presence in human society.
Key Points:
- Rats have coexisted with humans for millions of years, adapting to diverse environments and spreading globally through trade.
- Black rats contributed to the spread of the Black Death in Europe, although they were not direct carriers of the plague.
- Brown rats displaced black rats in Europe and North America due to their larger size and adaptability.
- Rats became essential to scientific research in the 20th century, aiding in discoveries about neuroplasticity and disease.
- Despite extensive extermination efforts, rats continue to thrive in urban environments, highlighting their resilience.
Details:
1. 🎩 Jack Black: The Rat Catcher of Queen Victoria
1.1. Jack Black's Showmanship
1.2. Jack Black's Techniques
2. 🐀 Origins and Adaptability of Rats
- The brown and black rat species emerged in Asia approximately 1 to 3 million years ago.
- Rats successfully survived the Earth's most recent ice age, demonstrating significant adaptability.
- These species eventually began cohabiting with humans, indicating a long history of human-rat interaction.
- Rats' omnipresence in human history is highlighted by their inclusion in the Chinese zodiac, symbolizing new beginnings.
3. 🚢 Rats' Historical Travels and Their Impact
- Black rats were first to travel extensively, sneaking onto ships from India to Egypt around 5,000 years ago.
- The influx of rats into Egypt may have contributed to the ancient spiritual reverence of cats due to their rat-catching abilities.
- Black rats spread to Europe via trade with Egypt and the Romans, reaching the Anglo-Celtic Isles by 300 CE.
- Black rats were notorious for spreading bacterial and viral infections to humans through droppings and urine.
- The Black Death in the late 1340s killed tens of millions, or around half of Europe’s population, often blamed on rats.
- Black rats did not directly transmit the plague but carried fleas that spread the bacterium responsible for it.
- Brown rats were not present in Europe during the Black Death and thus were not involved in spreading the plague.
4. 🏠 Arrival and Domination of Brown Rats in Europe
- Brown rats entered Europe between the 13th and 18th century, likely via ships or by swimming across bodies of water, such as during the 1727 Volga River earthquake.
- These brown rats, being larger and more adaptable, eventually displaced black rats in European and North American homes and cities by outcompeting them for resources.
- In Japan, brown rats were becoming popular as pets, with 250-year-old guidebooks on rodent domestication and breeding affectionate rats in various coat colors and patterns, showing early domestication practices.
5. 🔬 Rats in Scientific Research
- Rats thrived in urban environments by adapting to sewers and trash, developing resistance to poisons.
- The Wistar Institute bred the first standard rat strain for research in 1906, marking a pivotal moment in the human-rat relationship.
- Rats are ideal lab animals due to their physiological and genetic similarities to humans, aiding in disease research.
6. 🌍 Rats as an Invasive Species and Their Unyielding Presence
- Rats have significantly contributed to neuroscience and psychology by demonstrating neuroplasticity, as shown by 1960s studies where rats raised with toys and companions developed thicker cortical brain tissue.
- As the world's most successful invasive species, rats thrive in urban settings despite extensive extermination efforts, including multi-million-dollar initiatives in cities like New York.
- Despite substantial financial and human resources devoted to eradication, historical evidence points to the improbability of completely eliminating rats, highlighting their resilience and adaptability.
- The impact of rats as an invasive species includes ecological disruption and economic burdens, necessitating ongoing management and control strategies.