The genetic makeup of the German cockroach was nearly identical to its Asian counterpart (Blattella asahinai) from the Bay of Bengal. More specifically, over 80% of their samples matched the Asian ...

Through DNA analysis, Vargo and his colleagues found that the species' closest relative is the Asian cockroach. The German roach evolved from its Asian cousin about 2,100 years ago to adapt to ...

They confirmed that the German cockroach — a species found worldwide — actually originated in southeast Asia, likely evolving from the Asian cockroach around 2,100 years ago. Scientists have ...

But a more recent theory posits that the species could be native to Asia because it is closely related to the Asian cockroach (Blattella asahinai), whose habitat ranges from Okinawa to Southeast Asia.