Abstract
Simple SummaryThe wild boar is one of the most common wild animals. On the territory of Russia, there are two subspecies of the wild boar—European and Asian. At the beginning of the 20th century, the wild boar in the European part of Russia was practically exterminated. Later the population was restored by importing animals from other regions and by self-repopulation. The aim of our research was to assess the population structure of the Russian wild boar in comparison with the wild boar from other regions of the world and to determine the level of autozygosity, which allows us to determine the state of the population. We found traces of introgression of the Asian wild boar into the European one due to, migration of the wild boar in the population recovery process. Further analysis for genetic influx into Russian wild boar population identified four samples in which more than 10% of the genome belonged to domestic pigs. The Homozygous-by-Descent (HBD) Segments evaluation showed a low level of autozygosity in comparison with the aggregate sample of the European wild boar. Based on our genetic evaluation, we concluded that the population of the Russian wild boar of the European and Asian subspecies are characterized by a sufficient level of genetic diversity.The wild boar is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig and one of the most common species of ungulates. At the beginning of the 20th century, the wild boar was practically exterminated in the European part of Russia. In the period 1935–1988, 7705 boars were caught in various regions of the European part of Russia, the Far East, Ukraine, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Tajikistan and resettled in the territory of Russia. Asian and European wild boars dwell the territory of Russia. The aim of our research was to study the genetic diversity and structure of wild boar populations in different regions of Russia using genome-wide genotyping. We have determined the genetic distances, population structure, parameters of genetic diversity and significantly expanded our understanding of the genetic state of the Russian wild boar. For the first time, we calculated autozygosity of the wild boar of the European and Asian subspecies using Homozygous-by-Descent (HBD) Segments analysis, which is important in terms of population recovery. We also found evidence of hybridization between Russian wild boar and domestic pigs. A group of European wild boars showed introgression of the Asian boar into population. The mean level of the inbreeding coefficient in European wild boar was higher than in Asian wild boar, and combined groups of the European boar had higher inbreeding coefficient than Russian wild boars. These results obtained can be used in population management.
Highlights
The wild boar (Sus scrofa, Linnaeus, 1758, synonyms Sus attila, Sus lybicus, Sus algira) is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig and one of the most common species of ungulates
Our study investigated a genetic profile of the Russian wild boar population, determined the level of autozygosity, found the introgression of the domestic pig genome into European Russian boar and showed that the Asian Russian boar population is in a vulnerable position due to reduced genetic diversity
Our study provides a comparative analysis of the genetic diversity of wild boars of various origins
Summary
The wild boar (Sus scrofa, Linnaeus, 1758, synonyms Sus attila, Sus lybicus, Sus algira) is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig and one of the most common species of ungulates. It inhabits most of Europe, the entire Middle East up to the Zagros Ridge and North Africa [1]. This species has a native distribution ranging from the tropical region of Asia to Siberian forests, including semi-desertic and temperate ecosystems. In Russia, the wild boar is distributed in the European part (up the north of Karelia and middle Urals), in the North Caucasus, the Caspian region, the west and south of Western Siberia, the south of Central Siberia, in the Cisbaikalia, Transbaikalia, the Amur region, Primorsky Krai
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
