The adorable little pig humans have not only relied on for pork, but have come to appreciate in cartoons, such as Porky Pig in the Warner Brother’s Loony Toons, or even in children’s stories, such as Charlotte’s Web, seems like such a common farm animal, or even now pet, that people may overlook the deep […]
Evolutionary history
For starters, many may not know that the modern pig belongs to the Suidae family, which also includes sixteen total species of hogs and pigs (Fox). Pigs (the modern domestic breed) specifically fall under the genus Sus Scrofa Domesticus, which Giuffra and his colleagues prove in a genetic study titled, “The Origin of the Domestic […]
Contact with Humans
Certain characteristics in animals make them more desirable for domestication. Many of these characteristics revolve around behavioral traits, some of which include a group structure, sexual behavior, parent-young interactions, and responses to humans (Zeder). So what exactly prompted various cultures to domesticate the wild boar? Since the pig had to have undergone domestication several times, […]
Ethology
To have a well-developed understanding of the species of the modern domestic pig, or Sus Scrofa Domesticus, one must not only explore the pig’s history, but also its behavioral patterns; in other words, its ethology. Beyond the brief description of pig and other successfully domesticated animals’ common behavioral characteristics provided in the previous section of […]
Effects of domestication
Though knowing exactly how a domestic animal evolved and reached domestication enhances one’s understanding of the species’ history, one also must explore how domestication has altered this animal in order to gain a better understanding of the long-term impacts of domestication. The pig specifically, has undergone some major alterations as a result of domestication. An […]
Historical Contexts
Pigs not only have a complex history of domestication, but they also have impacted various cultures and societies. For starters, pigs served as several different symbols of status throughout history. Brett Mizelle, author of Pig, points out many of these instances. In Melanesia, for example, pigs “were central to ceremonial life.” Specifically, owning pigs and […]
References
Angier, Natalie. “Pigs Prove to Be Smart, If Not Vain.” New York Times 10 Nov. 2009: D1.The New York Times. 9 Nov. 2009. Web. 28 Mar. 2014. Brix, Lise. “Humans Have Added New Bones to the Pig.” Sciencenordic.com. N.p., 16 Nov. 2012. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. Butler, Chris. “The Flow of History.” FC5: The Domestication of […]