Hybridization among wild boars, local breeds and commercial breeds - preliminary results

Sus scrofa is one of the most widespread mammal species and it is
heavily managed throughout its range in both its domestic and
wild form. The wild boar is one of the most relevant game species
in Europe but it is also considered a pest as it can produce
economically important crop damages. Hybridization with the
domestic pig is known to occur in Europe, however the degree and
extent of the phenomenon is not fully understood yet.
Introgression is considered to be a treat to biodiversity and could
lead to loss of local adaptation or introgression in the wild
population of human selected genes. A better understanding of the
hybridization levels at European scale would provide an important
tool for the development of management plans aimed at reducing
human conflict but also at preserving biodiversity and genetic
differentiation. Additionally, this information would provide new
perspectives on infection routes for pig diseases and zoonoses.
Here we report the first results of an ongoing study using genome
wide SNPs data. Concordantly with previous studies we found
variable levels of introgression from non-detectable to quite high
according to sampling location. Interestingly, we also observed
gradients in variability levels among the analysed wild and
domestic populations. This preliminary results will be further
investigated to address the possible presence of hybrid zone(s) in
Europe and the possible implications for conservation and
management of both wild populations and local pig breeds, as well
as the development of contingency plans for infectious pig
diseases.