Genomics Insights into the Demographic History and Introgression of Tibetan Pigs

作者：Pengxiang Xue, Chengwan Zha, Yabiao Luo, Ning Huang, Nian Liu, Hao Wang, Meiying Fang · 发表于：Animals · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.3390/ani16091328 · 研究领域：Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock、Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals、Genetic diversity and population structure

Tibetan pigs are an important indigenous genetic resource on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, but their population history remains unclear. Here, we analyzed whole-genome resequencing data from 29 Tibetan pigs and 69 wild boars from different regions to investigate their genetic structure and origin. Population structure analyses showed that Tibetan pigs formed a distinct genetic cluster, but clear substructure was present among the four Tibetan pig groups. Demographic analyses indicated that all Tibetan pigs shared a similar deep ancestral background, whereas the Tibetan population from Tibet (TT) showed a distinct recent demographic trajectory relative to the other Tibetan pig groups. Model inference based on multidimensional site frequency spectra further supported a mixed origin of TT from northern and southern Asian wild boar-related ancestral components. In contrast, the other three Tibetan pig groups were best explained as lineages derived from TT after its formation. We also detected a persistent western Eurasian-related excess-sharing signal in TT, consistent with potential introgression. Selection scans identified candidate genes and pathways potentially related to hypoxia adaptation, cardiovascular function, and lung development.