7 surprising facts about pigs
Pigs are among the most versatile animals humans
have domesticated. We keep them as pets, certainly, but we also eat them and
use them to make leather and lots more. Often we think of them as hungry, dirty
and not particularly bright. While it's true pigs will eat just about anything,
the rest of our perceptions aren't entirely accurate. Here are some surprising,
fun facts about pigs.
1. We
domesticated pigs at 2 different times in 2 different places
Perhaps
we recognized pigs' utility early on since two different cultures
thousands of miles apart domesticated wild pigs, or
boars. Near what is now modern-day Turkey, settlers domesticated wild boars
that came to their villages for scraps of food about 10,000 years ago. Research
also indicates that around 8,000 years ago, wild pigs were domesticated in
China's Mekong Valley.
2. Pigs
developed a dirty reputation
Despite
their domestication and usefulness, pigs fell out of favor to a certain degree
by B.C. 1,000. The Old Testament, specifically the Book of Leviticus, deemed
pigs "unclean" and forbade the consumption of pig productions. The
Koran followed suit in the 7th century A.D. While theories abound as to why
pigs were held in low esteem, the likeliest reason is that pigs are happy to
consume just about anything, including decaying flesh and feces, habits that
made them unclean.
3. The
pig holds a place in the Chinese zodiac
The
pig is the 12th symbol in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. It earned
last place in the mythological race to determine each animal's place in the
zodiac. The pig, having gotten hungry and then sleepy during the race, was the
last to arrive at a meeting called by the Jade Emperor. Despite its latecomer
status in folklore, people born in the year of
the pig are considered to be good planners who work hard
to achieve goals.
4. Pigs
can save human lives
If
you ever need a new heart valve, a pig may come to the rescue. Pigs' heart
valves are used to make valves for humans. According to Harvard Health
Publishing, these valves last around 15 years and typically
don't require the use of anti-clotting drugs as mechanical valves do.
What's
more, pigs are generally considered the best option for
xenotransplantation, or organ transplants between humans and animals. They're
just similar enough to us that their organs may work well in our bodies while
still being different enough that a cross-species infection isn't as likely as
it would be with other primates. However, more research is needed as trials have
resulted in the rejection of some transplants.
5. Pigs
don't really sweat
We
use the phrase, "sweating like a pig," but the truth is pigs don't
sweat a lot. Sweat is a way that warm-blooded animals keep cool, but they need
functional sweat glands to do that. Pigs have the glands, but
they don't work well. This is why pigs will roll around in
mud, or even their own urine, to keep cool.
6. Pigs
have crummy vision but a great sense of smell
Pigs
can see things along the sides of their head — useful for spotting food, other
pigs and potential predators — but they're not great at seeing what's right in
front of them. They make up for this frontal vision lack with an excellent
sniffer. They'll use their snouts to detect food, and thanks to a little extra
muscle that gives it flexibility, the snout also can root out food.
7. Pig
are intelligent, emotional creatures
A 2015
review of pig studies published in the International Journal of Comparative
Psychology suggests that pigs have a complex psychology
we're only now starting to understand. "Pigs display consistent behavioral
and emotional characteristics that have been described variously as
personality. e.g., coping styles, response types, temperament, and behavioral
tendencies," the authors wrote.
The
review also found that pigs respond to each other's emotions. "Emotional
contagion in pigs involve[s] responses to other pigs' anticipation of positive
or negative events, revealing the importance of social factors in emotion."
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