Genetische Beweise deuten darauf hin, dass Menschen viel früher als bisher angenommen mit dem Transport von Schweinen begonnen haben. Eine neue Studie identifiziert Bevölkerungsgruppen, die möglicherweise bereits vor 50.000 Jahren auf Sulawesi lebten, als einige der frühesten Wanderer. Schweinepopulationen im gesamten Pazifik sind das Erbe wiederholter menschlicher Migrationen.

50,000 Years of Island-Hopping Pigs Reveal Ancient Human Migration

Learn how pigs spread across Pacific islands, what their DNA reveals about ancient human journeys, and why their legacy still matters today.

Pigs have spread across some of the most formidable natural barriers on Earth, appearing on islands where most mammals never arrived. From Southeast Asia to remote Pacific islands, they exist on both sides of the famous Wallace Line — a biogeographic boundary that typically stops wildlife in its tracks.

A new genomic study published in Science shows why. By analyzing the DNA of more than 700 modern and archaeological pigs, researchers found that humans have been moving pigs across the Asia-Pacific region for tens of thousands of years. The findings reveal that **pig populations across the Pacific are the legacy of repeated human migrations** — from early hunter-gatherers to agricultural societies — leaving behind genetic evidence that traces when, where, and how people island-hopped across the region.

“It is very exciting that we can use ancient DNA from pigs to peel back layers of human activity across this megabiodiverse region,” said senior study author Laurent Frantz, in a press release.

**Genetic evidence suggests people began transporting pigs much earlier than once thought. The study identifies populations living on Sulawesi — possibly as far back as 50,000 years ago — as some of the earliest movers**. These groups, known for producing some of the world’s earliest cave art, appear to have carried native warty pigs to neighboring islands such as Timor, potentially to create reliable sources of game.

These early translocations indicate that pre-agricultural societies were already shaping island ecosystems, moving animals beyond their natural ranges long before farming spread across the region.

For those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adv4963