The recent discovery of an un-changed pig genome has put the porker on a pedestal.
Researchers recently discovered that the Iberian pig genome has remained unchanged after five centuries.
Miguel Pérez-Enciso, a researcher at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain who was part of the research team, said he has always been curious about the genetic legacy of Spanish pigs.
He said he has contacts who work with ancient DNA, and one happened to be working at the site of the Montsoriu Castle in Girona. Bones of pigs were discovered and handed over to Pérez-Enciso and his team.
Read Also
Farm Credit Canada extends support for canola producers
Farm Credit Canada has extended its Trade Disruption Customer Support program to canola producers.
The data indicates that this ancient pig is closely related to today’s Iberian pig, considered to represent the original European Mediterranean pig populations.
The sample dates for the bone are 1520-1550 A.D., which is before the introduction of Asian pigs to Europe. This prompted Pérez-Enciso and his team to discard the hypothesis that Asian pigs were crossed with modern Iberian pigs.
However, the discovery does not affect the Canadian pig genome.
“In the case of Canada, with all the lines that are exploited with pig breeds that come primarily from Europe, their unit is later.”
In other words, Canadian pigs bred with Chinese pigs in the 17th and 18th centuries, creating a mixture that still exists today.
“(Scientists) are trying to untangle what parts of the DNA come from China and Europe, but many times you cannot tell properly.”
This discovery offers interesting information that was previously unknown.
For one thing, the pig was not a white pig because it was missing a duplicated KIT gene.
As well, it is closely related to the “Lampino del Guadiana” strain.
Pérez-Enciso said more tests will need to be done to gather more answers about the Iberian pig. The discovery coincides with the castle’s history of pig breeding, having been a necessity for the residents.
“We are talking about village pigs, not commercial pigs.”
The findings don’t apply to wild board but there is evidence of occasional crossbreeding between wild boars and ancient pigs, as has happened between wild boars and Iberian pigs.
“It would be interesting to see what has been changed by modern selection and breeding compared to pigs that were there before,” said Pérez-Enciso.
The advances of modern technology will lessen the challenges that researchers face with ancient DNA.
“We are going to see in the near future a burst in international study with livestock, like it is with humans.”
