Abstract: Six hundred and twelve individuals from 9 Chinese indigenous pig breeds, 3 Western commercial breeds and 1 cultivated breed and four hundred and eighteen F2 animals from a White Duroc ×Erhualian resource population were genotyped at the MC4R Asp298Asn locus using PCR-TaqI-RFLP. Association analysis were performed to evaluate the correlation of the MC4R polymorphisms with several growth and carcass traits including weights at 210 days and 240 days, the average daily gain from birth to 240 days, the backfat thickness at shoulder, the last rib, 6-7th rib and hip joint, and the percentage of abdominal fat. The results show that (1) the high frequencies of the G allele were observed in the tested Chinese indigenous pig breeds, Landrace and Duroc, while the high frequencies of the A allele were present in Large White and Nanchang White pigs; (2) MC4R Asp298Asn substitution was significantly associated with the growth and carcass traits in the White Duroc ×Erhualian F2 population, and individuals having the GG genotype were fatter and fastergrowing animals compared with AA and AG individuals. Our result further convinced that MC4R had significant effects on the growth and fatness traits in pigs.