SNPs genotypes of Italian wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations

Human activities can globally modify natural ecosystems determining ecological, demographic and range perturbations for several animal species. These changes can jeopardize native gene pools in different ways, leading either to genetic homogenization or, conversely, to the split into genetically divergent demes.

 

In the past decades, most European wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations were heavily managed by humans. Anthropic manipulations have strongly affected also Italian populations through heavy hunting, translocations and reintroductions that might have deeply modified their original gene pools.

 

In this study, exploiting the availability of the well-mapped porcine genome, we applied genomic tools to explore genome-wide variability in Italian wild boar populations, investigate their genetic structure and detect signatures of possible introgression from domestic pigs and non-native wild boar. Genomic data from 134 wild boar sampled in six areas of peninsular Italy and in...