BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The following are the highlights of China's science and technology news from the past week:

-- Archaeological discoveries and studies have shown that China was one of the earliest places in the world to domesticate pigs about 9,000 years ago.

The research confirms that pig bones excavated from the Jiahu relic site in Wuyang County, central China's Henan Province, date back 9,000 years ago and belong to domestic pigs.

-- Scientists have developed structural brain atlases for the Chinese pediatric population, offering a basic tool for future studies on Chinese children's brain development.

-- A study by Chinese and Australian astronomers has developed the world's first accurate three-dimensional picture of the Milky Way's warped appearance, showing that the galaxy's disc is not flat but warped and twisted far away from the center.

-- A joint study by researchers from China, Spain and Denmark has revealed the evolutionary history of crested ibis through complete genomic sequences of modern and historic population samples, offering references for better protection of this endangered species.

-- Researchers have revealed that China has made great efforts to protect and restore natural ecosystems in its arid and semiarid zones.

A total of 1,936 square kilometers of farmland areas were returned to forestland, 5,099 square kilometers to grasslands and 697 square kilometers to wetlands. The existing natural ecosystems have been improved due to effective conservation and more suitable climates, the study said.

-- A recent study shows that more than 30,000 cases of infectious diseases were imported to the Chinese mainland from 2005 to 2016, and the types of imported infectious diseases increased from two in 2005 to 11 in 2016.