Pigs have shared their domesticated history with humans and as omnivores they likewise have many biological and physiological characteristics in common. The use of next generation genomic sequencing is providing opportunities to retrace the domestication of pigs from their wild ancestors and elucidate how food and the environment affect human behavior and health. This lecture will elucidate how an Illinois pig (TJ Tabasco) is providing genomic information to unravel the domestication process as well as interactions between nature and our health.