A partial genome scan using microsatellite markers was conducted in order todetect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for 10 fatty acid contents of the backfatin a pig reference population. Two QTLs were found by studying SSC1, SSC13, andSSC18, where QTLs had already been identified for backfat thickness. A QTL waslocated between marker loci S0113 and SW974 on chromosome 1; this QTL was onlysignificantly detected (P < 0.05) for linoleic acid. The other QTL wasdiscovered between markers S0062 and S0120 on chromosome 18, and itssignificance only showed (P < 0.05) for myristic acid. The two QTLs mapped tothe same location as the backfat thickness QTL. A third of the phenotypicvariation was explained for linoleic acid by the QTL on chromosome 1, and aquarter for myristic acid by the QTL on chromosome 18. Further studies on finemapping and positional comparative candidate gene analyses will be the next steptoward a better understanding of the genetic architecture of fatty acidcontents.