J. Anim Sci.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Van Vleck, L. D.
Right arrow Articles by Echternkamp, S. E.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Van Vleck, L. D.
Right arrow Articles by Echternkamp, S. E.

Journal of Animal Science, Vol 69, Issue 8 3213-3219, Copyright © 1991 by American Society of Animal Science

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Ovulation rate and twinning rate in cattle: heritabilities and genetic correlation

L. D. Van Vleck, K. E. Gregory and S. E. Echternkamp
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clay Center, NE 68933.

Repeated measures of ovulation rate on puberal heifers should be an effective way to select for increased twinning rate. A reliable estimate of the genetic correlation between ovulation and twinning rates is needed to implement such selection and to predict its efficiency. Restricted maximum likelihood was used to estimate genetic correlations from subsets of data collected from the twinning project at the Roman L. Hruska U.S. Meat Animal Research Center. The animal model included numerator relationships among the animals and fixed effects of year-season of measurement, age at measurement, and birth group. Genetic correlations between averages of ovulation rates for three, four, five, six, seven, and eight estrous cycles and the occurrence of twins were, respectively, .62, .76, 1.00, 1.00, 1.00, and .98 based on observations on 200 to 325 puberal heifers. Corresponding phenotypic correlations ranged from .06 to .26. Genetic correlations between ovulation rate in a single estrous cycle and occurrence of twins were .38, .98, and .98, respectively, for 323, 430, and 283 cows with ovulation rate measured after measurement of twinning, in the same season as measurement of twinning, and more than 1 yr before measurement of twinning. Phenotypic correlations were .00, .07, and .00. Genetic and phenotypic correlations among ovulation rates at six consecutive estrous cycles averaged, respectively, .66 and .12 for 610 heifers. Heritabilities for ovulation rates in individual cycles averaged .16. No evidence of negative environmental covariance between ovulation rates in adjacent cycles was found. These results support the approach of indirectly selecting for twinning rate by measuring ovulation rates in estrous cycles of puberal heifers.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 GeneticsHome page
T. H. E. Meuwissen, A. Karlsen, S. Lien, I. Olsaker, and M. E. Goddard
Fine Mapping of a Quantitative Trait Locus for Twinning Rate Using Combined Linkage and Linkage Disequilibrium Mapping
Genetics, May 1, 2002; 161(1): 373 - 379.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Biol. Reprod.Home page
J. L. Spearow and M. Barkley
Genetic Control of Hormone-Induced Ovulation Rate in Mice
Biol Reprod, October 1, 1999; 61(4): 851 - 856.
[Abstract] [Full Text]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1991 by the American Society of Animal Science.