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Estimating variance components and heritabilities in the wild: a case study using the ‘animal model’ approach
Author(s) -
Milner,
Pemberton,
Brotherstone,
S. D. Albon
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1420-9101.2000.00222.x
Subject(s) - heritability , biology , trait , selection (genetic algorithm) , ovis , restricted maximum likelihood , offspring , genetic variation , maternal effect , genetic correlation , natural selection , variance components , statistics , zoology , evolutionary biology , maximum likelihood , ecology , genetics , mathematics , pregnancy , artificial intelligence , computer science , gene , programming language
Using a genealogy containing over 1800 dams and nearly 400 sires (estimated by genetic paternity techniques), combined with maximum likelihood procedures and an ‘animal model’, we have estimated the heritabilities, genetic correlations and variance components of three morphometric traits in the Soay sheep ( Ovis aries ) on St Kilda, Scotland. This approach allows heritabilities to be estimated in natural populations that violate the assumptions of offspring–parent regression methods. Maternal (or paternal) effects can also be estimated under natural conditions. We demonstrate that all the traits, body weight, hind leg length and incisor arcade breadth, have low but significant heritabilities. Body weight, the trait that experiences the strongest selection, had the lowest heritability but the highest additive genetic coefficient of variation. An evolutionary response to selection is predicted. When maternal effects were not taken into consideration heritabilities were over‐estimated, although this effect was only significant in female offspring.