Texas longhorn cattle have been bred to increase the tip-to-tip width of their h

Question

Texas longhorn cattle have been bred to increase the tip-to-tip width of their horns, and the heritability of this trait has been well studied by Professor David Hillis at the University of Texas, Austin. In the current generation, the mean horn length is 52 inches. If only a subset of this population, with a mean horn length of 61 inches, is allowed to reproduce, and the narrow-sense heritability of this trait = 0.2, what approximately is the expected horn length in the offspring generation? Use the breeder's equation and the equations for R and S given in Figure 9.42 for your calculations. a. 1.8 inches b. 9 inches c. 54 inches d. 61 inches

Explanation / Answer

Using breeder's equation:

R = h2S,
R = response
S = selection differential=61-52=9
h2 = narrow sense heritability=0.02

R=9*0.02=1.8

The response to selection in this case where the differential is 9 units in the parental generation would be 1.8 units in the offspring with respect to the original population. This is because the “narrow sense heritability”.

Horn length of teh off spring generation=52+1.8=53.8 approx 54 inches

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