Work

Imperial paintings show earliest brown rat domestication

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The early domestication of brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) is still unclear. The imperial paintings, The Silk Scroll of Three Rats, depicted domesticated brown rats with coat color variation in China during 1425–1435 AD. It was more than two centuries older than the known record in Japan, presenting the earliest evidence of brown rat domestication.

Source: npj Heritage Science

DOI: 10.1038/s40494-025-01672-4

Authors: Min-Sheng Peng, Wei Chen, Ya-Ping Zhang

Institutions: Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yunnan Agricultural University, Yunnan University

Language: English

Topic: Archaeology and ancient environmental studies

Subfield: Paleontology

Field: Earth and Planetary Sciences

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Funder: Yunnan Key Research and Development Program

OpenAlex ID: W4409380843