Sus (genus): Difference between revisions
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{{About|the genus}} |
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{{Taxobox |
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| name = Pig |
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| image = Sow with piglet.jpg |
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| image_caption = A domestic sow and her piglet. |
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| regnum = [[Animal]]ia |
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| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] |
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| classis = [[Mammal]]ia |
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| subclassis = [[Theria]] |
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| infraclassis = [[Eutheria]] |
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| ordo = [[Even-toed ungulate|Artiodactyla]] |
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| familia = [[Suidae]] |
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| subfamilia = [[Suinae]] |
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| genus = '''''Sus''''' |
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| genus_authority = [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758 |
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| subdivision_ranks = Species |
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| subdivision = |
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*See text |
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}} |
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A '''pig''' is any of the animals in the [[genus]] '''''Sus''''', within the [[Suidae]] [[Family (biology)|family]] of [[even-toed ungulate]]s. Pigs include the [[domestic pig]], its ancestor the [[wild boar]], and several other wild relatives. Pigs are [[omnivore]]s and are highly social and intelligent animals. |
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==Description and behaviour== |
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A typical pig has a large head with a long snout which is strengthened by a special prenasal bone and by a disk of [[cartilage]] at the tip.<ref name="ADW Sus scrofa">[http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Sus_scrofa.html ADW: Sus scrofa: Information]</ref> The snout is used to dig into the soil to find food and is a very acute sense organ. There are four [[hoof]]ed toes on each foot, with the two larger central toes bearing most of the weight, but the outer two also being used in soft ground.<ref>[http://www.gunnersden.com/index.htm.shooting-hunting-hogs.html Feral Pig / Hog / Pig / Wild Boar Hunting]</ref> |
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The [[dental formula]] of adult pigs is 3.1.4.3 in each jaw, giving a total of 44 [[tooth|teeth]].<ref>[http://www.skullsite.co.uk/Pig/pigdom.htm Skull Site]</ref> The rear teeth are adapted for crushing. In the male the canine teeth form [[tusk]]s, which grow continuously and are sharpened by constantly being ground against each other.<ref name="ADW Sus scrofa"/> |
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==Distribution== |
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[[File:Little_Piggies.jpg|thumb|Domesticated pig]] |
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With around 2 billion individuals alive at any time, the [[domesticated]] pig is one of the most numerous large mammals on the planet.<ref>[http://www.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/psdQuery.aspx Production, Supply and Distribution Online Query], [[United States Department of Agriculture]], [[Foreign Agricultural Service]]</ref><ref>[http://www.fas.usda.gov/psdonline/psdReport.aspx?hidReportRetrievalName=Swine+Summary+Selected+Countries&hidReportRetrievalID=1649&hidReportRetrievalTemplateID=7 Swine Summary Selected Countries], United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service, (total number is Production (Pig Crop) plus Total Beginning Stocks</ref> |
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The ancestor of the domesticated pig is the [[wild boar]], which is one of the most numerous and widespread large mammals. Its many subspecies are native to all but the harshest climes of continental [[Eurasia]] and its islands and [[Africa]] as well, from Ireland and India to Japan and north to Siberia. Although it has been exterminated in some areas, its numbers are stable or even increasing rapidly, in most of its native range. |
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Long isolated from other pigs on the many islands of Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, pigs have evolved into many different species, including wild boar, bearded pigs, and warty pigs. Humans have introduced pigs into Australia, North and South America, and numerous islands, either accidentally as escaped domestic pigs which have gone [[feral]], or as wild boar. These have typically adapted well, and are increasing in number and broadening their range outside human control. |
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==Diet and foraging== |
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Pigs are [[omnivore]]s, which means that they consume both plants and animals. In the wild, they are foraging animals, primarily eating leaves, grasses, roots, fruits and flowers. In confinement pigs are fed mostly corn and soybean meal with a mixture of vitamins and minerals added to the diet. |
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==Relationship with humans== |
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[[Domestic pig|Domesticated pigs]] are commonly raised as livestock by farmers for meat (generally called [[pork]], [[hams]], [[gammon]] or [[bacon]]), as well as for [[leather]]. Their bristly [[hair]]s are also used for brushes. Some breeds of pig, such as the Asian [[pot-bellied pig]], are kept as pets. |
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Pigs that are allowed to forage may be watched by [[swineherd]]s. Because of their foraging abilities and excellent [[Olfaction|sense of smell]], they are used to find [[Truffle (fungus)|truffle]]s in many European countries. |
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Both wild and feral pigs are commonly [[Hunting|hunt]]ed. |
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==Species== |
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{{listen |filename=Mudchute pig 2.ogg |title=Pig 'oink' |description=Oink! }} |
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[[File:Bearded_Pigs2.jpg|thumb|''[[Sus barbatus]]'' (bearded pigs)]] |
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The genus ''Sus'' is currently considered to have 10 living species and a number of extinct species known as [[fossil]]a: |
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*''[[Sus ahoenobarbus]]'' <small>Huet, 1888</small> - [[Palawan bearded pig]] |
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*[[extinction|†]]''[[Sus australis]]'' <small>Han, 1987</small> - Early Pleistocene of China |
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*''[[Sus barbatus]]'' <small>Müller, 1838</small> - [[Sus barbatus|Bearded pig]] |
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*†''[[Sus bijiashanensis]]'' <small>Han ''et al'', 1975</small> - Early Pleistocene of China |
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*''[[Sus bucculentus]]'' <small>Heude, 1892</small> - [[Heude's Pig]] or Indo-Chinese (or Vietnam) warty pig |
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*''[[Sus cebifrons]]'' <small>Heude, 1888</small> - [[Visayan warty pig]] |
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*''[[Sus celebensis]]'' <small>Müller & Schlegel, 1843</small> - [[Celebes warty pig]] or Sulawesi warty pig |
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*†''[[Sus falconeri]]'' - Pleistocene of the Siwalik region, India |
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*†''[[Sus houi]]'' <small>Qi ''et al'', 1999</small> - Pleistocene of China |
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*†''[[Sus hysudricus]]'' |
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*†''[[Sus jiaoshanensis]]'' <small>Zhao, 1980</small> - Early Pleistocene of China |
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*†''[[Sus liuchengensis]]'' <small>Han, 1987</small> - Early Pleistocene of China |
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*†''[[Sus lydekkeri]]'' <small>[[Otto Zdansky|Zdansky]], 1928</small> - Pleistocene of China |
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*†''[[Sus offecinalis]]'' <small>Koenigswald, 1933</small> - China |
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*''[[Sus oliveri]]'' <small>Groves, 1997</small> - [[Oliver's warty pig]] or Mindoro warty pig |
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*†''[[Sus peii]]'' <small>Han, 1987</small> - Early Pleistocene of China |
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*''[[Sus philippensis]]'' <small>Nehring, 1886</small> - [[Philippine warty pig]] |
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*''[[Sus scrofa]]'' - [[Wild Boar]] <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small> |
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:*''[[Sus scrofa domestica]]'' <small>Erxleben, 1777</small> - [[Domestic pig]] (sometimes treated as a full species) |
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*†''[[Sus subtriquetra]]'' <small>Xue, 1981</small> |
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*†''[[Sus strozzi]]'' |
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*''[[Sus verrucosus]]'' <small>Müller, 1840</small> - [[Java warty pig]] |
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*†''[[Sus xiaozhu]]'' <small>Han ''et al'', 1975</small> - Early Pleistocene of China |
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The [[pygmy hog]], formerly ''Sus salvanius'' is now placed in the [[monotype (biology)|monotypic]] genus ''[[Porcula]]''.<ref>{{aut|Funk, Stephan M., [[Sunil Kumar Verma]], Greger Larson, Kasturi Prasad, Lalji Singh, Goutam Narayan and John E. Fa}} (2007). [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2007.08.007 The pygmy hog is a unique genus: 19th century taxonomists got it right first time round]. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Volume 45, Pages 427-436</ref> |
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==Domestic pigs== |
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[[Image:Kelgris1909b.jpg|thumb|Swedish pigfarmer with piglet. Early 20th century]] |
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[[File:Green glazed toilet with pigsty model. Eastern Han dynasty 25 - 220 CE.jpg|thumb|left|Green glazed toilet with pigsty model. China, Eastern Han dynasty 25 - 220 CE.]] |
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{{Main|Domestic pig}} |
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Pigs have been [[domestication|domesticated]] since [[Ancient history|ancient times]] in the [[Old World]]. Archaeological evidence suggests that pigs were being managed in the wild in a way similar to the way they are managed by some modern New Guineans from wild boar as early as 13,000–12,700 [[Before Present|BP]] in the [[Near East]] in the Tigris Basin.<ref>Rosenberg M, Nesbitt R, Redding RW, Peasnall BL (1998). Hallan Cemi, pig husbandry, and post-Pleistocene adaptations along the Taurus-Zagros Arc (Turkey). Paleorient, 24(1):25–41.</ref> Remains of pigs have been dated to earlier than 11,400 BP in Cyprus that must have been introduced from the mainland which suggests domestication in the adjacent mainland by then.<ref>Vigne JD, Zazzo A, Saliège JF, Poplin F, Guilaine J, Simmons A. (2009). Pre-Neolithic wild boar management and introduction to Cyprus more than 11,400 years ago. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 106:16135–16138. PMID 19706455 {{doi|10.1073/pnas.0905015106}}</ref> A separate domestication also occurred in China.<ref name="Giuffra">Giuffra E, Kijas JM, Amarger V, Carlborg O, Jeon JT, Andersson L. (200). [http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1461048&blobtype=pdf The origin of the domestic pig: independent domestication and subsequent introgression.] Genetics. 154(4):1785-91. PMID 10747069</ref> |
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In India, pigs have been domesticated since a long time mostly in [[Goa]] and some [[rural area]]s for [[pig toilet]]s. This was also done in China. Though ecologically logical as well as economical, pig toilets are waning in popularity as use of [[septic tank]]s and/or [[sewerage]] system is increasing in rural areas. |
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Pigs were brought to southeastern North America from Europe by [[Hernando de Soto]] and other early Spanish explorers. Pigs are particularly valued in China and on certain oceanic islands, where their self-sufficiency allows them to be turned loose, although the practice is not without its drawbacks (see [[#Environmental impacts|Environmental impact]]). With managed rotational grazing techniques pigs can be raised in an environmentally sound manner on pasture much like grazing sheep, goats and cows without high grain inputs.<ref>[[Sugar Mountain Farm]] Pastured Pig Techniques</ref> |
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The domestic pig (''Sus scrofa domesticus'') is usually given the [[Binomial nomenclature|scientific name]] ''Sus scrofa'', although some authors call it ''S. domesticus'', reserving ''S. scrofa'' for the [[wild boar]]. It was domesticated approximately 5,000 to 7,000 years ago. Their coats are coarse and bristly. They are born brownish coloured and tend to turn more grayish coloured with age. The upper [[Canine tooth|canines]] form sharp distinctive [[tusk]]s that curve outward and upward. Compared to other artiodactyles, their head is relatively long, pointed, and free of [[wart]]s. Their head and body length ranges from 0.9 to 1.8 m and they can weigh between 50 and 350 kg. |
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Pigs are intelligent<ref name=AnimalBehaviour>{{Cite journal |
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| last = Broom |
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| first = Donald M. |
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| coauthors = Hilana Sena, Kiera L. Moynihan |
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| title = Pigs learn what a mirror image represents and use it to obtain information |
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| journal = Animal Behaviour |
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| volume = 78 |
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| issue = 5 |
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| pages = 1037–1041 |
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| date = 2009-11 |
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| url = http://198.81.200.2/science/article/B6W9W-4X9NCFD-3/2/b4289fc799ddf4984b90525d81f65201 |
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| issn = 0003-3472 |
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| doi = 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.07.027 |
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| accessdate = 2010-07-28 |
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| quote = Mirror usage has been taken to indicate some degree of awareness in animals. ... When put in a pen with a mirror in it, young pigs made movements while apparently looking at their image. After 5 h spent with a mirror, the pigs were shown a familiar food bowl, visible in the mirror but hidden behind a solid barrier. Seven out of eight pigs found the food bowl in a mean of 23 s by going away from the mirror and around the barrier. ... To use information from a mirror and find a food bowl, each pig must have observed features of its surroundings, remembered these and its own actions, deduced relationships among observed and remembered features and acted accordingly. This ability indicates assessment awareness in pigs. The results may have some effects on the design of housing conditions for pigs and may lead to better pig welfare. |
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}}</ref> and can be trained to perform numerous tasks and tricks.<ref name = nytimes2009-11-9>{{Cite news |
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| last = Angier |
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| first = Natalie |
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| author-link = http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/people/a/natalie_angier/index.html?inline=nyt-per |
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| title = Pigs Prove to Be Smart, if Not Vain |
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| newspaper = The New York Times |
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| location = New York, New York, US |
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| publisher = The New York Times Company |
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| date = 2009-11-09 |
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| url = http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/10/science/10angier.html |
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| accessdate = 2010-07-28 |
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| quote = They’ve found that pigs are among the quickest of animals to learn a new routine, and pigs can do a circus’s worth of tricks: jump hoops, bow and stand, spin and make wordlike sounds on command, roll out rugs, herd sheep, close and open cages, play videogames with joysticks, and more.}}</ref> Recently, they have enjoyed a measure of popularity as house pets, particularly the dwarf breeds. |
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==Cultural and religious reference to pigs== |
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{{Main|Cultural references to pigs}} |
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Pigs are frequently referenced in culture and religion and are a popular topic for idioms and famous quotes. |
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==Environmental impacts== |
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Domestic pigs that have escaped from farms or were allowed to forage in the wild, and in some cases wild boars which were introduced as prey for hunting, have given rise to large populations of feral pigs in North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and other areas where pigs are not native. Accidental or deliberate releases of pigs into countries or environments where they are an [[Introduced species|alien species]] have caused extensive environmental change. Their omnivorous diet, aggressive behaviour, and their feeding method of rooting in the ground all combine to severely alter ecosystems unused to pigs. Pigs will even eat small animals and destroy nests of ground nesting birds.<ref name="ADW Sus scrofa"/> The [[IUCN Species Survival Commission|Invasive Species Specialist Group]] lists feral pigs on the [[list of the world's 100 worst invasive species]] and says:<ref>[http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=73&fr=1&sts=sss Ecology of Sus scrofa], Global Invasive Species Database, The [[IUCN Species Survival Commission|Invasive Species Specialist Group]]</ref> |
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[[Image:Wild Pig KSC02pd0873.jpg|thumb|Feral pigs ([[razorback]]s) in [[Florida]]]] |
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{{cquote|Feral pigs like other introduced mammals are major drivers of extinction and ecosystem change. They have been introduced into many parts of the world, and will damage crops and home gardens as well as potentially spreading disease. They uproot large areas of land, eliminating native vegetation and spreading weeds. This results in habitat alteration, a change in plant succession and composition and a decrease in native fauna dependent on the original habitat.}} |
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==Health issues== |
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Pigs can harbour a range of [[parasitism|parasite]]s and diseases that can be transmitted to humans. These include [[trichinosis]], ''[[pork tapeworm|Taenia solium]]'', [[cysticercosis]], and [[brucellosis]]. Pigs are also known to host large concentrations of parasitic [[ascaris|ascarid]] worms in their digestive tract.<ref>[http://www.thepigsite.com/pighealth/ Pig Health]</ref> The presence of these diseases and parasites is one reason pork meat should always be well cooked or cured before eating. Today, trichinellosis infections from eating pork are relatively uncommon, at least in the United States, due to more stringent health laws, better refrigeration, and public awareness of the dangers of eating undercooked meat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/trichinellosis/gen_info/faqs.html|title=CDC - Trichinellosis - General Information|date=November 2, 2010|accessdate=March 23, 2011|publisher=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}}</ref> Some religious groups that consider pork unclean refer to these issues as support for their views.<ref>Marie Parsons. [http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/pigs.htm "Pigs in Ancient Egypt"]</ref> |
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Pigs are susceptible to [[bronchitis]] and [[pneumonia]]. They have small lungs in relation to body size; for this reason, bronchitis or pneumonia can kill a pig quickly.<ref>[http://www.pigs.org/article.asp?article_id=3 Pros and Cons of Potbellied Pigs]</ref> There is concern that pigs may allow animal viruses such as [[influenza]] or [[Ebola Reston]] to infect humans more easily. Some strains of influenza are [[endemic (epidemiology)|endemic]] in pigs (see [[Swine influenza]]), and pigs also can acquire [[human influenza]]. |
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Pigs can be aggressive and pig-induced injuries are relatively common in areas where pigs are reared or where they form part of the wild or feral fauna.<ref>McClung, Robert M., "The New Book of Knowledge: Pigs"</ref> |
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==See also== |
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{{Div col|cols=2}} |
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*[[Babirusa]] |
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*[[Fetal pig]] |
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*[[Hog-baiting]] |
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*[[List of fictional pigs]] |
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*[[List of pigs]] |
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*[[Pig Olympics]] |
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*[[Pot-bellied pig]] |
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{{Div col end}} |
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==References== |
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{{Reflist|2}} |
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==External links== |
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{{Wiktionary|pig}} |
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{{Wiktionary|Swine}} |
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{{Wikiquote|Pigs}} |
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{{Wikispecies|Sus}} |
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{{Commons category|Sus}} |
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*[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/projects/genome/guide/pig/ Pig genome resources] |
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*[http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/swine/ Swine breeds, with pictures] |
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{{Pigs}} |
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[[Category:Pigs| ]] |
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[[Category:Coprophagous animals]] |
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[[ar:خنزير]] |
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[[an:Sus]] |
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[[zh-min-nan:Ti-sio̍k]] |
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[[be:Дзікі]] |
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[[be-x-old:Дзікі]] |
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[[br:Sus]] |
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[[ca:Sus]] |
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[[cs:Prase]] |
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[[cy:Mochyn]] |
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[[de:Sus (Schweine)]] |
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[[et:Siga (perekond)]] |
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[[es:Sus]] |
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[[fa:خوک]] |
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[[fr:Sus (genre)]] |
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[[ko:멧돼지속]] |
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[[is:Svín (ættkvísl)]] |
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[[it:Sus (zoologia)]] |
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[[he:חזיר (סוג)]] |
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[[sw:Nguruwe]] |
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[[la:Sus]] |
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[[lv:Cūkas]] |
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[[ml:പന്നി]] |
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[[nl:Echte zwijnen]] |
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[[ja:イノシシ属]] |
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[[no:Svin og griser]] |
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[[oc:Sus (genre)]] |
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[[pl:Sus (zwierzęta)]] |
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[[pt:Sus]] |
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[[ru:Кабаны]] |
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[[nso:Kolobe]] |
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[[scn:Sus]] |
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[[sk:Sus (rod)]] |
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[[sl:Sus]] |
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[[sr:Свиња]] |
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[[sv:Svin]] |
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[[ta:பன்றி]] |
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[[uk:Свиня (рід)]] |
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[[vi:Chi Lợn]] |
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[[war:Baktín]] |
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[[bat-smg:Šernā]] |
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[[zh:猪属]] |
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