History
The first known mention of gerbils came in 1866, by Father Armand David, who sent "yellow rats" to the Museum of Natural History (Musée d'Histoire Naturelle) in Paris, from northern China. They were named Meriones unguiculatus by the scientist Milne-Edwards in 1867. This Latin name means "clawed warrior" in English, partly from the Greek warrior Meriones in Homer's Iliad.
Gerbils only became popular pets after 1954, when 20 breeding pairs were brought to the United States from eastern Mongolia for scientific testing. Almost all pet gerbils today are descended from these 40. Gerbils were brought to the United Kingdom in 1964 from the United States.
Read more about this topic: Mongolian Gerbil
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