Where is muscle mass concentrated in wild boars compared to their domesticated counterparts?
Answer
Around the head and shoulders, needed for digging and defense.
A significant evolutionary divergence in body composition exists between the wild boar and pigs bred for agricultural purposes. Wild boars allocate the majority of their muscle mass to the anterior portion of their body, specifically concentrating it around the head and shoulders. This musculature is critical for survival behaviors inherent to the wild state, such as digging for roots and tubers, and engaging in defensive confrontations. In contrast, domestic pigs, bred for meat production, exhibit significantly more developed hindquarters, which can account for up to 70% of their total body weight due to selective breeding pressures.
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