Like a pig out of water: seaborne spread of domestic pigs in Southern Italy and Sardinia during the Bronze and Iron Ages

Lega, Clelia; Fulgione, Domenico; Genovese, A.; Rook, Lorenzo; Masseti, Marco; Meiri, Meirav; Marra, Antonella Cinzia; Carotenuto, Francesco; Raia, Pasquale

doi:10.1038/hdy.2016.74

Cited by 13 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…The few pigs possessing an mt-Y1 signature from post-Neolithic contexts were found mostly on islands beyond mainland Europe in southwestern Greece (4,350 to 3,250 y BP: MM495, MM486, MM303), in Crete (3,100 y BP), in Sardinia (∼3,750 y BP) (29), near Naples (∼800 y BP: VM_CM01, VM_CM02, VM_CM03), and in Corsica (modern noncommercial pigs) (21), as well as in Tuscany (∼800 y BP: VM_TM01) (Fig. 1 and SI Appendix ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient pigs reveal a near-complete genomic turnover following their introduction to Europe

Frantz

Haile

Lin

et al. 2019

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

108

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Archaeological evidence indicates that pig domestication had begun by ∼10,500 y before the present (BP) in the Near East, and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) suggests that pigs arrived in Europe alongside farmers ∼8,500 y BP. A few thousand years after the introduction of Near Eastern pigs into Europe, however, their characteristic mtDNA signature disappeared and was replaced by haplotypes associated with European wild boars. This turnover could be accounted for by substantial gene flow from local European wild boars, although it is also possible that European wild boars were domesticated independently without any genetic contribution from the Near East. To test these hypotheses, we obtained mtDNA sequences from 2,099 modern and ancient pig samples and 63 nuclear ancient genomes from Near Eastern and European pigs. Our analyses revealed that European domestic pigs dating from 7,100 to 6,000 y BP possessed both Near Eastern and European nuclear ancestry, while later pigs possessed no more than 4% Near Eastern ancestry, indicating that gene flow from European wild boars resulted in a near-complete disappearance of Near East ancestry. In addition, we demonstrate that a variant at a locus encoding black coat color likely originated in the Near East and persisted in European pigs. Altogether, our results indicate that while pigs were not independently domesticated in Europe, the vast majority of human-mediated selection over the past 5,000 y focused on the genomic fraction derived from the European wild boars, and not on the fraction that was selected by early Neolithic farmers over the first 2,500 y of the domestication process.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ancient pigs reveal a near-complete genomic turnover following their introduction to Europe

Frantz

Haile

Lin

et al. 2019

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

108

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“…Lastly, furthering this research into Italian samples, Lega et al (2017) (Lega et al, 2017). This study thus offers additional support to the possibility of an independent pig domestication event in Italy.…”

Section: Genetic Studies On Pig Domesticationsupporting

confidence: 55%

“…In the particular case of Italy, the genetic evidence has offered support to the possibility of a local domestication of wild boar in the peninsula (e.g. Larson et al, 2007b;Lega et al, 2017;Vai et al, 2015). Hopefully, the research presented in this thesis and future developments will help decipher the picture.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interestingly, the Y2 haplotype has also been detected in a modern Corsican feral pig (Figure 3.1 F), suggesting, according to the authors, that Near Eastern pigs could have been introduced to the island by Neolithic settlers (Larson et al, 2007b). But it could also have been a later introduction, as Lega et al (2017) proposed for Sardinia and Sicily (see below in this section). The results from the analysis of Armenian pig samples indicated that European domestic pigs spread back eastward into Armenia by the VII century BC, apparently to completely replace the earlier Near Eastern domestic pigs (Larson et al, 2007b).…”

Section: Genetic Studies On Pig Domesticationmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Origins and Evolution of Pig Domestication in Italy: A regional and diachronic study of husbandry practices

Tecce¹

2020

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The emergence of the Neolithic in Europe represents a key moment in human history, and the domestication of the wild boar (Sus scrofa) and the emergence of the pig (Sus domesticus) a fundamental aspect of that process. In Italy, the phenomenon of pig domestication in prehistory is still not entirely understood. The main objective of this PhD is to contribute to the understanding of the origins and development of pig domestication in prehistoric Italy, from a wide regional scale and a diachronic perspective. Some key archaeological questions addressed in this research concern how and when the process of pig domestication commenced in Italy, how it evolved thereafter, and how it compares and integrates with the wider European and Middle Eastern scenarios.The main methodology used to tackle this objective is the collection of comparable data from several Italian prehistoric sites in order to detect patterns of regional and chronological change, from the Upper Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age. The analysis relies mainly on biometrical data, but it is complemented with evidence of kill-off patterns and sex ratios, in order to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the domestication event.The results support the view that a domesticated pig occurred in Italy from the Early Neolithic, although it only became morphologically distinct from the Late Neolithic onwards. This change in pig size and shape seems to signify a shift from an earlier loose management strategy of pig keeping to a close domestic control of pigs in later times, articulating with historical changes in Italian societies. The Italian pig domestication process shares similarities and differences with other European and Middle Eastern cases, highlighting the diverse trajectories this process took in different areas, in tune with the regional particularities of the spread of the Neolithic in Europe.preferred to those who think they've found it.Terry Pratchett -Monstrous Regiment This PhD would not have been achieved without the kind support and assistance of several people, both in Italy and the United Kingdom. This PhD was made possible by the funding of the University of Sheffield's University Prize Scholarship, which was awarded to me at the beginning of this journey. My academic experience in Sheffield has always been first class, with both staff and fellow students being always friendly and helpful, and I am very proud to be counted amongst their alumni.First and foremost, I owe a great debt of gratitude to my supervisor and good friend, Umberto Albarella, who has offered me immense help and support all throughout my PhD, demonstrating a great deal of patience and understanding not only on the academic but also on the personal side of the work. He also very kindly made available his extensive pig datasets for inclusion in this project. Many thanks also to my second supervisor, Gianna Ayala, who was also of great help and assistance.In my first data collection trip to Rome, I was warmly welcomed by Maurizio Moscoloni and by Claudia Minitti. My deepest t...

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“…through an Iberian intermediary) is also feasible. For instance, zoo-archaeological and molecular studies (mtDNA) conducted in the Sus genus, revealed that pigs were traded between the Italian Peninsula and Sardinia by the end of the second millennium BC (late Bronze age and Iron age) and this gene flow left a genetic signature still detectable in Sardinian feral pigs 25 . During the Bronze Age, the inhabitants of Sardinia were part of the Sea People, who migrated to the Levant at that time, with routes to Sicily and Crete 23 , 25 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mitochondrial DNA diversity of the Sardinian local cattle stock

Petretto

Dettori

Pazzola

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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The aim of this research was to characterize the genetic diversity of the Sarda (Sa, n = 131), Sardo Bruna (SB, n = 44) and Sardo Modicana (SM, n = 26) cattle breeds, reared in the island of Sardinia (Italy). A portion of the mitochondrial DNA hypervariable region was sequenced, in order to identify a potential signature of African introgression. The FST coefficients among populations ranged between 0.056 for Sa vs SB and 0.167 for SB vs SM. AMOVA analysis indicated there was a significant differentiation of the three breeds, although most of diversity was gathered at the within-breed level. The Median Joining Network of the Sardinian sequences showed a potential founder effect signature. A MJ network including Sardinian cattle plus African, Italian, Iberian and Asian sequences, revealed the presence of haplogroup T3, already detected in Sa cattle, and the presence of Hg T1 and Hg T1′2′3, in Sa and SB. The presence of a private haplotype belonging to haplogroup T1, which is characteristic of African taurine breeds, may be due to the introgression of Sardinian breeds with African cattle, either directly (most probable source: North African cattle) or indirectly (through a Mediterranean intermediary already introgressed with African blood).

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Like a pig out of water: seaborne spread of domestic pigs in Southern Italy and Sardinia during the Bronze and Iron Ages

Cited by 13 publications

References 42 publications

Ancient pigs reveal a near-complete genomic turnover following their introduction to Europe

Ancient pigs reveal a near-complete genomic turnover following their introduction to Europe

The Origins and Evolution of Pig Domestication in Italy: A regional and diachronic study of husbandry practices

Mitochondrial DNA diversity of the Sardinian local cattle stock

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