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Genetic Correlations between Five Body Measurements, Weight, Type and Production in the Same Individual among Holstein Cows¹

Department of Dairy Science, University of Illinois, Urbana

ABSTRACT

The progress made when selecting for two or more characteristics depends in large part on the actual intensity of selection, the heritabilities of these characteristics and the genetic correlations between these characteristics in the same individual. The present study was an attempt to estimate various genetic correlations in Holstein cows and to investigate the commonality of these correlations.

Genetic correlations are not to be confused with phenotypic correlations. The latter are the net results of genetic correlations and, of similarities of the environment which affect both characteristics. By genetic correlation is meant here the correlation between the sets of genes which affect two characteristics on the same animal. The operations by which the genetic correlations are estimated here pick up only the average or additive effects of these sets of genes plus a bit of their epistatic effects, since only these contribute to the likeness between daughter and dam which was the basis of these estimations.

¹ Journal paper no. J.-1813 from the Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station, Ames. Project no. 1053.

² This study was made in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree at Iowa State College, Ames.