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Quantitative genetics and the evolution of ontogeny: I. Ontogenetic changes in quantitative genetic variance components in randombred mice

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

James M. Cheverud
Affiliation:
Departments of Anthropology and Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, 60201
Larry J. Leamy
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, California State University, Long Beach, California, 90840
William R. Atchley
Affiliation:
Department of EntomologyUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706 Department of GeneticsUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
J. J. Rutledge
Affiliation:
Department of GeneticsUniversity of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706 Department of Meat and Animal Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 53706
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Summary

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We report the results of an ontogenetic analysis of quantitative genetic variance components with two replicates drawn from the randombred ICR strain of mice. A total of 432 mice from 108 full-sib families raised in a cross-fostering design were used to estimate direct effects heritability, maternal effects, and environmental effects for weight, head length, trunk length, trunk circumference, and tail length at 17, 24, 31, 38, 45, 52, 59, and 66 days of age. There was no significant difference in heritability between the replicates. Heritabilities either stayed more or less constant with age at about 0·30 (weight, trunk length, trunk circumference) or increased slightly with age (head length, tail length). Maternal effects decreased with age from a maximum of about 0·50 at weaning to about 0·15 at age 66 when growth was nearly complete. Environmental effects increased in relative importance during ontogeny.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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