Back-breeding selection of ancient pig populations: a model for local biodiversity conservation

Genetic characterization of a local swine population farmed in the Umbria region of Central Italy. The Cinghiato population is the result of a local project aimed at the reconstitution of an ancient, now extinct swine breed, documented only through frescoes in local churches in Umbria. Genomic tools were used to investigate inbreeding and selection signatures in this population. Polymorphisms in the main genes affecting the belted coat pattern were analyzed. Four samples displaying extreme variations in the belted coat pattern were subjected to whole-genome sequencing.