Scientists decode the pig genome

Researchers, who undertook the largest ever study of the pig genome, found that swine are adaptable, easy to seduce with food and susceptible to domestication - much like humans.

Insights into the genetic code of pigs reveal the swine and its cousin the wild boar have much in common with humans.

The new analysis also supports the use of the pig in studies of human diseases.

"In total, we found 112 positions where the porcine protein has the same amino acid that is implicated in a disease in humans," the researchers said.

"We identified many more gene variants implicated in human disease, further supporting the pig as a valuable biomedical model," Professor Martien Groenen, a principal investigator on the study, said.

"The improved knowledge of pigs' genetic make-up should help us breed healthier and more productive animals," Professor Alan Archibald, of The Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh, said in a statement.

The genome sequence also show that pigs suffer from the same genetic and protein malfunctions that account for many human diseases like obesity, diabetes, dyslexia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

Researchers compared the genome or genetic make-up of domestic pigs with those of wild boars