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The domestic pig (Sus scrofa domestica) is usually given the scientific name Sus scrofa, though some writers use the term S. domestica, reserving S. scrofa for the wild boar. It was domesticated approximately 2500 to 3000 years ago. Pigs are found across Europe, the Middle East and extend into Asia as far as Indonesia and Japan. The distinction between wild and domestic animals is slight, and domestic pigs have become feral in many parts of the world (for example, New Zealand) and have caused substantial environmental damage.
Sus scrofa has four subspecies, each occupying distinct geographical areas:
Sus scrofa scrofa (western Africa, Europe)
Sus scrofa ussuricus (northern Asia and Japan)
Sus scrofa cristatus (Asia Minor, India)
Sus scrofa vittatus (Indonesia)
Pigs are one of the oldest forms of livestock, having been domesticated as early as 800 BC . It is believed to have been domesticated either in the Near East or in China from the Wild Boar. The adaptable nature and omnivorous diet of the Wild Boar allowed early humans to domesticate it much earlier than many other forms of livestock, such as cattle. Pigs were mostly used for food, but people also used their hide for shields, their bones for tools and weapons, and their 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 freely used by Native Americans as food
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