Beer and bagels please: New York rats evolve to mirror human habits

Changes in rodents' DNA means they are now prone to similar health threats to humans, scientists discover

Humans are not alone in suffering from the stresses of modern city life. Researchers have found the brown rats of New York are struggling just as hard to adapt to urban existence.

Indeed it is possible, they say, that both humans and rats have undergone parallel shifts in their genetic make-up in response to city life, leaving them prone to similar health threats, such as the effects of pollutants and the consumption of highly sugared foods.