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The Genetic Divide Between NYC's Uptown And Downtown Rats

Fordham University graduate student Matthew Combs studies the DNA of New York City's rats. He found that rats living uptown are genetically distinct from rats living downtown.
Rats have been a persistent problem for cities around the world.

The Empire State building, pizza and Broadway are just a few things synonymous with New York City — and then there's the rats.

Like many other major metropolitan areas, New York City has a rat problem. But that doesn't mean that all the rats are the same.

is a graduate student at Fordham University who studies rats. Combs shared his findings about the genetics of the city's brown rats.

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