Lecture 3 - Animal Breeding Flashcards
What are polygenic traits?
Phenotypes that are influenced by multiple genes at once
What are two other names for polygenic traits?
Complex traits or quantitative traits
What is polygenic inheritance?
-Cumulative effect of two or more genes
-Multiple genes with codominant alleles. Allelic effects are additive
What is an example of a human phenotype that is influenced by thousands of genes?
Height
What is a continuous trait?
A trait that varies in severity in a continuous way. Usually has a mean represented at the peak of a bell curve
What is a threshold trait?
A trait that is only expressed when it reaches a threshold value through the additive affects of alleles (ex. cancer)
What is the formula for calculating phenotypic variance (Vp)?
Vp = genetic variance (Vg) + environmental variance (Ve)
What is the formula for calculating heritability (h^2)?
h^2 = Vg/Vp
What is heritability?
The proportion of phenotypic variance due to genetic effects. Specific to a population at a given time
Why is heritability specific at a given time?
-Changes in environment
-Differences between allele frequencies in populations
If the h^2 of human height is ~0.80, then what percent of variation is due to genetics?
80%
What is the breeders equation?
R = h^2 x S, where R is the response to selection and S is the selection differential
What is the breeders equation used for?
To predict evolution
What does it mean if h^2 is zero?
There is no evolution or selection occurring
What does a larger h^2 indicate?
That genetic and phenotypic gain (heritability) is occurring at a faster rate
What is the response to selection (R)?
Change in population phenotypic mean in the next generation
What is the selection differential (S)?
Difference between a populations mean phenotype and the mean phenotype of selected individuals