An up-to-date, accessible guide to the main concepts and applications of quantitative genetics.

This book is an outstanding contribution to the very meager list of books and reading materials available to Filipino teachers, students, and practitioners working on animal improvement. Dr. Bondoc offers scholarly breeding principles based on his years of experience and research.

Genetic structure of population; Changes in gene frequency; Inbreeding; Quantitative genetics; Repeatability; Heritability; Aids to selection; Empirical tests of selection theory; Crossbreeding; Breeding plans.

The impetus for this book arose out of my previous book, The Evolution of Life Histories (Roff, 1992). In that book I presented a single chapter on quanti tative genetic theory. However, as the book was concerned with the evolution of life histories and traits connected to this, the presence of quantitative genetic variation was an underlying theme throughout. Much of the focus was placed on optimality theory, for it is this approach that has proven to be extremely successful in the analysis of life history variation. But quantitative genetics cannot be ig nored, because there are some questions for which optimality approaches are inappropriate; for example, although optimality modeling can address the ques tion of the maintenance of phenotypic variation, it cannot say anything about genetic variation, on which further evolution clearly depends. The present book is, thus, a natural extension of the first. I have approached the problem not from the point of view of an animal or plant breeder but from that of one interested in understanding the evolution of quantitative traits in wild populations. The subject is large with a considerable body of theory: I generally present the assumptions underlying the analysis and the results, giving the relevant references for those interested in the intervening mathematics. My interest is in what quantitative genetics tells me about evolutionary processes; therefore, I have concentrated on areas of research most relevant to field studies.

Fitness and adaptation are fundamental characteristics of plant and animal species, enabling them to survive in their environment and to adapt to the inevitable changes in this environment. This is true for both the genetic resources of natural ecosystems as well as those used in agricultural production. Extensive genetic variation exists between varieties/breeds in a species and amongst individuals within breeds. This variation has developed over very long periods of time. A major ongoing challenge is how to best utilize this variation to meet short-term demands whilst also conserving it for longer-term possible use. Many animal breeding programs have led to increased performance for production traits but this has often been accompanied by reduced fitness. In addition, the global use of genetic resources prompts the question whether introduced genotypes are adapted to local production systems. Understanding the genetic nature of fitness and adaptation will enable us to better manage genetic resources allowing us to make efficient and sustainable decisions for the improvement or breeding of these resources. This book had an ambitious goal in bringing together a sample of the world’s leading scientists in animal breeding and evolutionary genetics to exchange knowledge to advance our understanding of these vital issues.

Animal genetics is a foundational discipline in the fields of animal science, animal breeding, and veterinary sciences. While genetics underpins the healthy development and breeding of all living organisms, this is especially true in domestic animals, specifically with respect to breeding for key traits. Molecular and Quantitative Animal Genetics is a new textbook that takes an innovative approach, looking at both quantitative and molecular breeding approaches. The bookprovides a comprehensive introduction to genetic principles and their applications in animal breeding. This text provides a useful overview for those new to the field of animal genetics and breeding, covering a diverse array of topics ranging from population and quantitative genetics to epigenetics and biotechnology. Molecular and Quantitative Animal Genetics will be an important and invaluable educational resource for undergraduate and graduate students and animal agriculture professionals. Divided into six sections pairing fundamental principles with useful applications, the book's comprehensive coverage will make it an ideal fit for students studying animal breeding and genetics at any level.

Quantitative Genetic Variation describes some of the experimental approaches to quantitative genetic variation, along with their potential applications and limitations. It considers one of the most widely applicable tools, i.e., biometrical analysis, as well as individual polygenic effects, specific components of a quantitative genetic trait, and artificial selection, and it shows how selection experiments can address specific developmental and genetic questions. Organized into four sections encompassing 17 chapters, this volume begins with a historical overview of the study of quantitative genetic variation, along with genetic variation in fungi and Drosophila. It then discusses the biometrical approach to quantitative variation, selection theory and analysis, uses and limitations of polygene mapping, and computer simulation of the breeding program for polygene location. The reader is also introduced to genes affecting quantitative aspects of physiology in rodents, as well as cytological markers and quantitative variation in wheat. This book will be extremely useful to students, researchers, and geneticists.