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Rattus norvegicus (brown rat)

Mammalia - Rodentia - Muridae

Taxonomy
Mus norvegicus was named by Berkenhout (1769). It is extant.

It was recombined as Rattus norvegicus by Hollister (1916), Steudel and Beattie (1993), Worthy (1997) and Ramello et al. (2024).

Sister species lacking formal opinion data
R. bowersi, R. edwardsi, R. haasi, R. legata, R. lutreolus

Synonyms
  • Mus decumanus was named by Pallas (1778). It is extant.

    It was recombined as Rattus decumanus by Fischer (1803); it was synonymized subjectively with Rattus norvegicus by Hollister (1916).
Synonymy list
YearName and author
1769Mus norvegicus Berkenhout
1778Mus decumanus Pallas
1803Rattus decumanus Fischer
1916Rattus norvegicus Hollister p. 126
1993Rattus norvegicus Steudel and Beattie
1997Rattus norvegicus Worthy p. 113
2024Rattus norvegicus Ramello et al. p. 93

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
—Bilateria
—EubilateriaAx 1987
—Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
—Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
—Tetrapoda
—Reptiliomorpha
—Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
—Cotylosauria()
—Amniota
subclassSynapsida
—Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
—Mammaliamorpha
RankNameAuthor
—Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
—Cladotheria
—Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
—Eutheria()
—Placentalia
—Boreoeutheria
—EuarchontogliresMurphy et al. 2001
—GliriformesWyss and Meng 1996
—Glires()
—Simplicidentata()
orderRodentiaBowdich 1821
infraorderMyodontaSchaub 1958
superfamilyMuroideaIlliger 1811
—Eumuroida
familyMuridaeIlliger 1811
subfamilyMurinae
genusRattusFischer 1803
speciesnorvegicus(Berkenhout 1769)

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout 1769 [brown rat]
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Invalid names: Rattus decumanus Pallas 1778 [synonym]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
partNmean

Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: ground dwellingg
Diet: herbivoref
Diet 2: insectivoref
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2012-05-15 12:53:50
Modified: 2012-05-14 21:53:50
Source: g = genus, f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Hendy et al. 2009, Ji et al. 2002, Lillegraven 1979, Nowak 1991, Samuels and Van Valkenburgh 2008, Carroll 1988

Age range: base of the Early/Lower Pleistocene to the top of the Holocene or 2.58800 to 0.00000 Ma

Collections (7 total)


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Early/Lower Pleistocene2.588 - 0.781China ( Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) Rattus norvegicus (214689)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Japan (Aomori) Rattus norvegicus (101898)
Late/Upper Pleistocene0.129 - 0.0117Philippines Rattus norvegicus (194835)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0New Zealand (South Island) Rattus norvegicus (215418)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Italy (Vicenza) Mus decumanus (43667)
Holocene0.0117 - 0.0Yemen Rattus norvegicus (169046 234349)