Invasive wild boar affected feral hog skull evolution over 25 years in Brazilian Pantanal wetland.

This article focuses on the morphological and functional evolution of the Brazilian Pantanal feral hog ("porco-monteiro"), a long-term feral population of Sus scrofa, in response to the introduction and hybridization with invasive European wild boar. Analyzing skulls from the 1990s to the 2010s, the study found that feral hogs developed broader skulls in the coronal plane and showed a progressive reduction in the semispinalis capitis muscle scar, which biomechanically corresponds to decreased head-elevation force potentially affecting rooting behavior. Despite these changes, feral hog skull morphology did not converge toward the wild boar pattern but instead suggests the emergence of a new morphotype influenced by hybridization. The ecological implications of these morphological shifts remain uncertain, highlighting the complexity of invasive species dynamics and their impact on native fauna and conservation efforts in the Brazilian Pantanal wetland.