SPAIN
In a new study published in Heredity, researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) have used the first partial genome sequence of a sixteenth century pig found at the site of the Montsoriu Castle in Girona to compare similarities and differences in modern pigs.
The sample from the ancient pig dates approximately from the years 1520 and 1550 and is older than the introduction of Asian pigs in Europe. The findings shed new light on the evolutionary aspects of pig species, particularly on that of the Iberian breed.
Miguel Pérez-Enciso, ICREA researcher at UAB and at the Center for Research in Agrigenomics (CRAG), who led the study said, “Although it is a very fragmented sample, the gene sequence offers very interesting information. First of all, we know it is not a white pig because it is missing a duplicated KIT gene, which would make it this color. This coincides with the majority of paintings from that period, where the animal was painted black or in reddish tones.”
The study also showed that the ancient pig is very closely related to today’s Iberian pig species, specifically the ‘Lampiño del Guadiana’ strain. No great changes have been registered in this genome for all of those years.
The researchers have also discovered that the ancient pig was a domestic animal, which coincides with the historical registers of the castle that indicated that pig breeding was an important castle activity.
“This close relation between the Iberian pig, the European boar and the ancient pig confirms, as stated in previous studies, that crossbreeding between the Asian pig and modern Iberian pig did not exist or was insignificant,” Miguel Pérez-Enciso points out.
I have always found studies like these to be fascinating for how they act as a window into the past, showing us the origins and history of the products that form the core of our industry today. Stay tuned to DeliMarketTV for more updates on the latest scientific research as it pertains to the Deli industry.
