An international team of scientists has obtained the first draft of the genome of a domestic pig , a result that the researchers hope will help better understand agriculture, medicine and evolution.
A Duroc ginger pig from the University of Illinois farm was used in the experiment. The Duroc is one of the five breeds used in pig farming in the world and is one of the 200 breeds of domesticated pigs that exist. Numerous varieties of wild boar are also known, non-domesticated pigs, believed to have originated in Eurasia.
"The pig is a unique animal, which is important for food and simultaneously used as an animal model for human disease, " said Larry Schook, professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Illinois and director of the project. "And since native wild animals still exist, it's a really exciting animal to study and learn about the genomic effects of domestication, " he added.
The draft sequence, which is 98% complete , will allow researchers to pinpoint exactly which genes are useful for pig production or which are involved in the immune system, cardiovascular physiology and other important processes in the pig.
