Domestic Pig
Sus scrofa domesticus
🐖
Chordata
Mammalia
Artiodactyla
Suina
Suidae
Sus scrofa domesticus
The Domesticated Omnivore — The Domestic Pig is one of humanity’s oldest and most widespread livestock species, renowned for its intelligence, adaptability, and crucial role in early agricultural societies.
Description
Domestic Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) — The Domestic Pig is a descendant of the Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa), domesticated independently in multiple regions over 9,000 years ago (notably in Anatolia and China). Pigs are highly intelligent mammals, capable of complex social behaviors, problem-solving, and communication through a wide range of vocalizations. Their omnivorous diet and rapid growth rate made them an ideal livestock species for early farmers.
Domesticated pigs exhibit a wide range of coat colors, body shapes, and sizes due to selective breeding. Modern pigs are primarily raised for meat (pork), but in early societies, they also served as waste recyclers, consuming household scraps and foraging around settlements.
Quick Facts
Max Mass
Shoulder Height
Standing Height
Length
Diet
Trophic Level
350
1
1.5
1.8
kg
m
m
m
Mixed Feeder
Omnivores – Balanced
Hunt History
Before domestication, early humans hunted wild boars (Sus scrofa) across Europe and Asia for meat, tusks, and hides. With the rise of agriculture in the Neolithic, humans began keeping wild boar piglets and selectively breeding them for docility, size, and meat yield. This mutual adaptation led to full domestication around 9,000–10,500 years ago.
Earliest Archaeological Evidence of Human Interaction:
Çayönü Tepesi, Turkey (~10,500 years ago): Pig bones with signs of selective breeding and enclosure.
Jiahu, China (~9,000 years ago): Pig remains associated with Neolithic dwellings and food preparation sites.
Zawi Chemi Shanidar, Iraq (~10,000 years ago): Early evidence of pig management alongside goats and sheep.
Time & Range
Extinction Status
Domesticated 10,000 years ago in Turkey
Extinction Date
Temporal Range
Region
9000
BP
Holocene
Turkey
Wiki Link
Fat Analysis
Fatness Profile:
Medium
Fat %
5
Est. Renderable Fat
17.5
kg
Targeted Organs
Visceral & subcutaneous
Adipose Depots
Visceral/subcutaneous (general)
Preferred Cuts
Visceral depot
Hunt Difficulty (x/5)
3