Genetic relationship and distribution of the Japanese wild boar (Sus scrofa leucomystax) and Ryukyu wild boar (Sus scrofa riukiuanus) analysed by mitochondrial DNA

Abstract

Mitochondrial genetic variations were used to investigate the relationships between two Japanese wild boars, Japanese wild boar (Sus scrofa leucomystax) and Ryukyu wild boar (S.s. riukiuanus). Nucleotide sequences of the control (27 haplotypes) and cytochrome b (cyt-b) regions (19 haplotypes) were determined from 59 Japanese wild boars, 13 Ryukyu wild boars and 22 other boars and pigs. From phylogenetic analyses, the mtDNA of Ryukyu wild boar has a distinct lineage from that of Japanese wild boar, which was classified into the Asian pig lineage. This result suggests that the Ryukyu wild boar has a separate origin from the Japanese wild boar.

Ancient DNA Reveals Genetic Lineage of Sus scrofa among Archaeological Sites in Japan.

“…and A2 in this study (45.7% and 65.5%, respectively), a previous report using the complete sequences of the control region and cytb gene showed 99.7% and 93.2% bootstrap values, respectively (Watanobe et al, 1999). Low bootstrap values in this study can be attributed to using a 574-bp of the control region and a large number of haplotypes (Sanderson, 1989).…”

“…According to fossil records, Japanese wild boar (S. scrofa leucomystax) migrated from the Asian continent to the Japanese Islands during the late Pleistocene (Kawamura, 1991). The Japanese wild boar inhabiting the three main islands (Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku) is distinguish ablefrom the Ryukyu wild boar (S. s. riukiuanus) and continental domestic pigs by genetic differences (Watanobe et al, 1999). In the prehistoric Japanese islands, the Jomon period (10,000 to 250 B.C.)…”

Livestock genetic origins: Goats buck the trend

“…ification) established taxonomic categorizations based on morphology, i.e., that between humped and humpless cattle and that between river and swamp buffalo (4,(12)(13)(14). The division in pigs is also between European samples and those from Asia (8,15). The pattern in sheep is less clear, and the sequences used here were sampled from New Zealand herds of necessarily exotic origin (16).…”

Morphological and molecular phylogenetic characteristics of dwarf <i>Sus</i> specimens from the Noguni shell middens in the Ryukyu Islands

“…Oshiro and Nohara, 2000). Recent molecular phylogenetic studies also show that Ryukyu wild boar did not contribute genetically to the domestic pigs in the Ryukyu Islands (Watanobe et al, 1999;Takada et al, 2008). Previous morphological and molecular phylogenetic studies suggest that Ryukyu wild boar is a relic of a Eurasian continental population (Imaizumi, 1973;Watanobe et al, 1999).…”