National Beef Cattle Evaluation Consortium (NBCEC) White Paper - Delivering Genomics Technology to the Beef Industry

Artificial selection of cattle has been practiced for centuries using a variety of methods and tools. Early selection was based on visual observations that eventually lead to the development of breeds. In efforts to improve production, selection was practiced on measured phenotypic traits with limited success depending on the heritability of the trait. The next big breakthrough in selection tools was the development of statistical methodologies and computer hardware, capable of handling large data sets, to estimate the breeding values of cattle, the tool known in the U.S. as Expected Progeny Differences (EPD). Widespread usage of EPDs in the seedstock and commercial beef sectors has lead to great increases in the genetic propensity of beef cattle for a variety of traits including calving ease, growth and carcass composition.