The process of animal domestication is a key evolutionary transition in human history, within which the control of wild populations is considered a crucial first step. Yet, phenotypic changes associated with animal captivity remain challenging to document. Here, we investigated the craniofacial changes in wild boar (Sus scrofa) associated with a lifetime of growth in captivity under conditions of controlled mobility and diet. Using three-dimensional landmark-based geometric morphometrics, we assessed cranial and mandibular size and shape differences between captive and wild-caught wild boar, their link with masticatory forces, and how these plastic changes relate to traits selected in domestic pigs. We observed shape divergence associated with greater masticatory forces in captive wild boar (e.g., wider zygomatic arches, more upright mandibular rami, and reduced gonial angle) corroborating the fundamental role of biomechanical loading and constructional constraints in the skull shape changes associated with captivity. Despite their resemblance with domestic traits, these localised plastic changes follow a different phenotypic trajectory, suggesting that they did not contribute to the setup of the craniofacial morphology of current domestic breeds. A parallel increase of masticatory force in captive wild boars and domestic pigs may explain this phenotypic convergence but needs to be further explored.

动物的驯化过程是人类历史上的关键进化过渡，在此过程中，控制野生种群被认为是至关重要的第一步。然而，与动物圈养有关的表型变化仍然难以证明。在这里，我们调查了野猪（Sus scrofa）与在受控的活动度和饮食条件下圈养的一生增长有关。使用基于三维界标的几何形态计量学，我们评估了圈养和野外野猪之间的颅骨和下颌骨大小和形状差异，它们与咀嚼力的联系以及这些可塑性变化与家猪选择的性状之间的关系。我们观察到与圈养野猪的咀嚼力更大相关的形状差异（例如，zy弓更宽，下颌骨更直立，以及角角减小）证实了生物力学负荷的基本作用以及与圈养有关的颅骨形状变化的结构约束。尽管它们与家庭特征相似，但这些局部的塑性变化遵循不同的表型轨迹，提示它们对目前国内品种的颅面形态的建立没有贡献。圈养野猪和家猪的咀嚼力平行增加可能解释了这种表型趋同，但有待进一步探讨。