TY - JOUR
T1 - Solving the 250-year-old mystery of the origin and global spread of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica
AU - Tang, Qian
AU - Vargo, Edward L.
AU - Ahmad, Intan
AU - Jiang, Hong
AU - Varadínová, Zuzana Kotyková
AU - Dovih, Pilot
AU - Kim, Dongmin
AU - Bourguignon, Thomas
AU - Booth, Warren
AU - Schal, Coby
AU - Mukha, Dmitry V.
AU - Rheindt, Frank E.
AU - Evans, Theodore A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 the Author(s). Published by PNAS.
PY - 2024/5/28
Y1 - 2024/5/28
N2 - The origin of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is enigmatic, in part because it is ubiquitous worldwide in human-built structures but absent from any natural habitats. The first historical records of this species are from ca. 250 years ago (ya) from central Europe (hence its name). However, recent research suggests that the center of diversity of the genus is Asian, where its closest relatives are found. To solve this paradox, we sampled genome-wide markers of 281 cockroaches from 17 countries across six continents. We confirm that B. germanica evolved from the Asian cockroach Blattella asahinai approximately 2,100 ya, probably by adapting to human settlements in India or Myanmar. Our genomic analyses reconstructed two primary global spread routes, one older, westward route to the Middle East coinciding with various Islamic dynasties (~1,200 ya), and another younger eastward route coinciding with the European colonial period (~390 ya). While Europe was not central to the early domestication and spread of the German cockroach, European advances in long-distance transportation and temperature-controlled housing were likely important for the more recent global spread, increasing chances of successful dispersal to and establishment in new regions. The global genetic structure of German cockroaches further supports our model, as it generally aligns with geopolitical boundaries, suggesting regional bridgehead populations established following the advent of international commerce.
AB - The origin of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica, is enigmatic, in part because it is ubiquitous worldwide in human-built structures but absent from any natural habitats. The first historical records of this species are from ca. 250 years ago (ya) from central Europe (hence its name). However, recent research suggests that the center of diversity of the genus is Asian, where its closest relatives are found. To solve this paradox, we sampled genome-wide markers of 281 cockroaches from 17 countries across six continents. We confirm that B. germanica evolved from the Asian cockroach Blattella asahinai approximately 2,100 ya, probably by adapting to human settlements in India or Myanmar. Our genomic analyses reconstructed two primary global spread routes, one older, westward route to the Middle East coinciding with various Islamic dynasties (~1,200 ya), and another younger eastward route coinciding with the European colonial period (~390 ya). While Europe was not central to the early domestication and spread of the German cockroach, European advances in long-distance transportation and temperature-controlled housing were likely important for the more recent global spread, increasing chances of successful dispersal to and establishment in new regions. The global genetic structure of German cockroaches further supports our model, as it generally aligns with geopolitical boundaries, suggesting regional bridgehead populations established following the advent of international commerce.
KW - domestication
KW - globalization
KW - insecticide resistance
KW - integrated pest management
KW - invasive species
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85193688222&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.2401185121
DO - 10.1073/pnas.2401185121
M3 - Article
C2 - 38768340
AN - SCOPUS:85193688222
SN - 0027-8424
VL - 121
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
IS - 22
M1 - e2401185121
ER -