4055 x 4216 px | 34,3 x 35,7 cm | 13,5 x 14,1 inches | 300dpi
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domestic pig (or in some areas hog) is normally given the scientific name Sus scrofa scrofa, though some taxonomists use the term S. domestica, reserving S. scrofa for the wild boar. Pigs are believed to have been domesticated from wild boar as early as 9000 BC in the Near East and separately in China at about the same time. DNA evidence from sub-fossil remains of teeth and jawbones of Neolithic pigs in Europe shows that the first domestic pigs there had been brought from the Near East. It appears that this stimulated the domestication of European wild boar, effectively forming a third domestication event – the Near Eastern genes later died out in European pigs, and domesticated European pigs were then exported in turn to the ancient Near East The adaptable nature and omnivorous diet of the wild boar allowed early humans to domesticate it readily. Pigs were mostly used for food, but early civilizations also used the pigs' hides for shields, bones for tools and weapons, and bristles for brushes. Pigs were brought to southeastern North America from Europe by De Soto and other early Spanish explorers. Escaped pigs became feral and were used by Native Americans as food. Most domestic pigs have rather sparse hair covering on their skin, although woolly coated breeds are known (Mangalitsa pig), and some were popular in the past. Escaped domestic pigs have become feral in many parts of the world (for example, New Zealand) and have caused substantial environmental damage. The domestic pig is used for its meat, called pork. Other products made from pigs include sausage, bacon, gammon, ham and pork scratchings. The head of a pig can be used to make a preserved jelly called head cheese. Liver, chitterlings, and other offal from pigs are also widely used for food. In some religions, such as Judaism and Islam, there are religious restrictions on the consumption of pork.
