Genetic history and adaptation of Eurasian wild boars inform livestock breeding

Historical expansions of wild boars (Sus scrofa) across Eurasia have shaped phenotypic variation, genetic diversity, and local adaptation of their populations. The study by Wang et al.¹ investigates the demographic history and genetic adaptation of Eurasian wild boars based on 96 whole-genome sequences, informing a critical role of Central Asian populations in their expansions and identifying key genes and variants associated with their local adaptation. Also, the adaptive variants are potentially useful for domestic pig breeding in future.