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Paleantology

The oldest rat in history unearthed at Atapuerca

The oldest water rat in history has been found at the Sima del Elefante dig, part of Atapuerca in northern Spain, an archaeological site rich in fossils where the remains of the first Europeans were discovered. This rodent lived 1.2 million years ago and is related to a species of rat in the Iberian Peninsula

STAFF | JANUARY 26th, 2011

The oldest rat in history is the latest discovery of the Sima del Elefante dig at the Atapuerca archaeological site in northern Spain, thanks to a study led by Gloria Cuenca and assisted by Jordi Agustí, a researcher at the Catalan Institute of Human Paleontology and Social Evolution (IPHES) and head of research at the center. Besides being the oldest rat species identified to date, they have also determined that it is related to a rat common to the Iberian Peninsula.

This new species, Arvicola jacobeos, lived 1.2 million years ago and was of a similar size to today’s common water rat. Excavations over the last 15 years have revealed fossils that show it differed from other rats, making it unique. The key is their teeth. Agustí explained that they "are smaller and have thicker coats of enamel than other the type of rodent from the same time period, Mimomys savini. The roots of these teeth are also very unique. All this, and after several studies, has led us to declare the discovery of this new species.”

Thanks to this finding, the Arvicola sapidus, typical of the Valencian coast and, in fact, the species of water rat common to the Iberian peninsula, seems to have its origin in the Jacobean arvicola and to have a lineage dating back to Early Pleistocene Age. Previous to this discovery, the oldest rat was thought to date to the Late or Middle Pleistocene Age.

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