Rattus rattus bone remains that date back to the Norman Period have been discove red in Britain.

Evidence also suggests that R. rattus existed in prehistoric Eur ope as well as the Levant during post-glacial periods.[5] The specific origin of the black rat is uncertain due to the rat's disappearance and reintroduction. E vidence such as DNA and bone fragments also suggests that rats did not originall y come from Europe, but migrated from southeast Asia.[6] Rats are resilient vectors for many diseases because of their ability to hold so many infectious bacteria in their blood. Rats played a primary role in spreadin g bacteria, such as Yersinia pestis, which is responsible for the Justinianic pl ague and bubonic plague.[6] According to epidemiological models, Yersinia pestis originated outside of Europe which indicates that Western and central Europe ha ve never had any natural rodent plagues. The modern Roman rat arose from an ance stor that originated in Malaysia.[6] The number of chromosomes these Malaysian r ats and the Mediterranean black rats differ by four chromosomes.[6] Therefore, i t seems that speciation could have occurred when the rats colonized southwest In dia, which was a primary country where Romans obtained their spices. Because Rat tus rattus is a passive traveler, they could have easily traveled to Europe duri ng the trading between Rome and the southwestern Asian countries. Evidence also suggests that, in 321 331 BC, Egyptian birds were preying on Mediterranean rats, t hough this is not enough to prove that Egypt was the source of the rats.[6]