Forests became less diverse when ancient people began raising pigs

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Forests became less diverse when ancient people began raising pigs

A domestic pig in the New Forest, UK

9 Deborah Lee Rossiter/Shutterstock

Ancient DNA discovered in a European rock shelter suggests local shepherds tended goats and sheep more than 5,000 years ago, but switched to primarily pigs 2,000 years later – roughly in time when the surrounding forests became much less rich in biodiversity.

Although more research is needed, the findings suggest that breeding pigs – which root the soil and are much less fussy than goats and sheep – may have played a role in the formation of modern forests. The discovery provides strong evidence that analysis of ancient sedimentary DNA can…

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