The Global Journey of German Cockroach
Cockroaches are one of human's enemies and no one wants them to be crawling in their house. One of their species "German Cockroach" is seen all over the world.
As published in the journal 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences', unlike its name, German Cockroaches are not from Germany but they have originated from Asia around 2,100 years ago.
The study says that the German Cockroach evolved from the Asian Cockroach, which is most likely from India and Myanmar. For more than 250 years scientists were not able to solve the mystery of how the German cockroach spread throughout the world.
If a cockroach is crawling in your kitchen or on the floor, you might have seen the German Cockroach.
Roaches are present in all the continents except Antarctica. Cockroaches do not prefer cold temperatures but they like to be in warm and moist conditions. They feed on human or animal foods.
German Cockroaches' ability to resist insecticides and also their ability to rapidly breed make them easily spread.
The scientists believe that cockroaches might have spread through two routes. one older, westward route to the Middle East coinciding with various Islamic dynasties, and another younger eastward route coinciding with the European colonial period.
The study says that the German Cockroach evolved from the Asian Cockroach, which is most likely from India and Myanmar. For more than 250 years scientists were not able to solve the mystery of how the German cockroach spread throughout the world.
If a cockroach is crawling in your kitchen or on the floor, you might have seen the German Cockroach.
Roaches are present in all the continents except Antarctica. Cockroaches do not prefer cold temperatures but they like to be in warm and moist conditions. They feed on human or animal foods.
German Cockroaches' ability to resist insecticides and also their ability to rapidly breed make them easily spread.
The scientists believe that cockroaches might have spread through two routes. one older, westward route to the Middle East coinciding with various Islamic dynasties, and another younger eastward route coinciding with the European colonial period.
The roaches pose social, medical, and economic costs due to prevalent insecticide resistance.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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