The classical twin design (CTD) uses observed covariances from monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs to infer the relative magnitudes of genetic and environmental causes of phenotypic variation. Despite its wide use, it is well known that the CTD can produce biased estimates if its stringent assumptions are not met. By modeling observed covariances of twins' relatives in addition to twins themse...

autoselection is a kind of natural selection, that occurs in reproductive traits by inequality of offspring generation and therefore by virtue of the nature of its genes transmission to next generations. in this study, the effects of autoselection on heritability and selection response in reproductive traits by using univariate stochastic computer simulation in artificial selected and unselecte...

Weight records of Brazilian Nelore cattle, from birth to 630 d of age, recorded every 3 mo, were analyzed using random regression models. Independent variables were Legendre polynomials of age at recording. The model of analysis included contemporary groups as fixed effects and age of dam as a linear and quadratic covariable. Mean trends were modeled through a cubic regression on orthogonal pol...

the objective of this study was to investigate the effect of principal components (pc) of the regression coefficients (co)variance matrix on the lactation curve, and on the formation of selection index to modify the curve, based on these pc’s, and as well to estimate additive genetic and phenotypic variances and heritability of the constructed selection index. lactation period of 301 d (5-305) ...

The genetic analysis of composite data is very complicated, mainly because it is necessary to adjust data to the effects of heterosis and breed complementarity, and because there is usually considerable confounding of these data with several other effects, such as contemporary group effects, breed composition of the animal and maternal breed composition, among others. Data on birth weight (n = ...

Genetic parameters for nuclear and cytoplasmic genetic effects were estimated from preweaning growth data collected on three synthetic lines of beef cattle differing in mature size. Lines of small-, medium-, and large-framed calves were represented in each of two research herds (Rhodes and McNay). Variance components were estimated separately by herd and size line for birth weight and 205-d wei...

Estimates of variance components for test day records in an animal model that considered multiple traits over multiple lactations were calculated using REML methodology. Test day records were classified into 11 periods within first and later lactations. Missing ancestors in the relationship matrix were classified in genetic groups. Data were collected from Costa Rican dairy farms. Estimates of ...