Throughout history, humans have preferred their pigs to be black

Scientists have identified a new genetic mutation responsible for the black colouring of the coats of pigs in Hawaii, which is different to the Asian or European mutations leading to the black colour. Their paper suggests that human societies have independently selected domesticated pigs that express the trait of black-coloured coats on at least three separate occasions because they liked the novelty colour. Pigs have played an important cultural role in Hawaii since Polynesian explorers first introduced the domestic animals to the islands about 800 years ago. However, debate has centred on whether Hawaii's modern feral pigs (modern populations that were once descended from domestic pigs but are now living in the wild) are from Polynesian stock or whether they descend primarily from the European domestic pigs that travelled with explorer Captain Cook who arrived in Hawaii in 1778. New research led by the University of Oxford helps settle the debate after scientists examined the DNA sequences of modern feral Hawaiian pigs. They find that today's feral pigs ARE mainly the descendants of the Pacific family brought by the Polynesians. In addition, the scientists identified a new genetic mutation responsible for the black colouring of their coats.