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Evidence of Selection for the Snorter Dwarf Gene in Cattle¹

Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in the growth pattern of heterozygous and homozygous normal cattle which might have led to a selection preference for carriers of Snorter dwarfism. Evidence is presented which clearly demonstrates that, when comparing group averages, the dwarf gene does express itself in the heterozygote and that this expression could have led to a selection preference for the heterozygote.

With the preference for smaller cattle with shorter legs and extreme masculinity in bulls, particularly at the younger ages, cattle judges and breeders, apparently unknowingly, favored the heterozygote in their selection during the 15- to 20-year period prior to the mid-1950's.

¹ Data were obtained as part of Southern Regional Project S-10, The Improvement of Beef Cattle through Breeding Methods, conducted in cooperation with the Beef Research Branch, Animal Husbandry Division, ARS, USDA, and published with the approval of the Director of the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station.

² The author is indebted to C. Y. Kramer for advice and assistance with statistical analysis, to K. E. Gregory, R. S. Temple and E. J. Warwick for reading the manuscript and making helpful suggestions, to numerous beef cattle breeders for making their cattle and records available and to the American Hereford Association, members of the V.P.I. Animal Science staff and several leading cattle breeders for assistance in appraising pedigrees.