Pig Domestication, Ancestry and Evolution: A Genomic Approach

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Pigs".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 3170

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
National Research Council - IBBA, Milan, Italy
Interests: genetic diversity; pig domestication; animal breeding

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

At the moment, the knowledge regarding the impact of domestication on the genetic variability of modern livestock species like pig breeds is widely explored due to the availability of cutting-edge technologies. These new genotyping and sequencing technologies have allowed for the application of genomics techniques not only in pig breeding, but also in population genomics studies of this species. Also, combining genome-wide ancient and modern DNA analysis has provided a powerful new tool for the examination of past populations and migrations.

Investigating demography, admixture between breeds of different origin or ancestors, inbreeding and direct or indirect anthropogenic selection allows us to decode the complex genetic background of this important farm animal.

Interpreting these genetic signatures is a key feature to the deeper understanding of various aspects of the genetics of pigs. Simultaneously, it can contribute to guide specific management actions for the conservation of important genetic resources, such as culturally important heritage pig breeds. The aim of this Special Issue is to provide new insights about the ancestry, evolution, and effects of domestication on shaping modern pig breeds from a genomic point of view. State-of-the-art research and reviews about this topic are greatly encouraged to submit with the purpose of revealing the complex genetic history of this species.

Dr. Arianna Manunza
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Evolutionary history
  • ancestry
  • population genomics
  • pig domestication
  • admixture
  • genetic diversity
  • ancient DNA

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 3009 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Changes in Gut Microbiota in Wild Boars and Domestic Pigs Using 16S rRNA Gene and Metagenomics Sequencing Technologies
by Limin Wei, Weiying Zhou and Zhaojing Zhu
Animals 2022, 12(17), 2270; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12172270 - 1 Sep 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2470
Abstract
Gut microbiota diversity is a result of co-evolution between microorganisms and their hosts. However, there are few studies on the evolution of the gut microbiota of wild boars and domestic pigs. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the composition and function of the [...] Read more.
Gut microbiota diversity is a result of co-evolution between microorganisms and their hosts. However, there are few studies on the evolution of the gut microbiota of wild boars and domestic pigs. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the composition and function of the gut microbiota of wild boars and domestic pigs using 16S rRNA gene V3-V4 region sequencing, 16S rRNA gene full-length sequencing, and metagenomic sequencing. This study showed that after a long evolution, as compared to wild boars, the domestic pigs exhibited significantly increased relative abundances of Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus sp.DJF_WC5, and Lactobacillus; s_uncultured bacterium, while the relative abundances of Bifidobacterium and Methanococcaceae decreased significantly. In addition, the relative abundances of “carbohydrate metabolism”, “starch and sucrose metabolism”, “valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis”, “lysine biosynthesis”, and starch-degrading CAZymes were significantly increased in the domestic pigs, while the relative abundances of “environmental adaptation”, “immune system”, “fatty acid degradation and synthesis”, and cellulose-hemicellulose-degrading CAZymes were significantly increased in the wild boars. Finally, the diversity of ARGs and the “antimicrobial resistance genes” in domestic pigs also increased significantly. This study illustrates that the gut microbiota composition and function of wild boars and domestic pigs changed during the long evolution process. These findings provide a basic research theory for the evolution of gut microbiota and the treatment of health and disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pig Domestication, Ancestry and Evolution: A Genomic Approach)
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