Analysis of Quantitative Inheritance of Body Size in Mice. II. Gene Action and Segregation.

OMINANCE deviation in continuously varying characters is a matter which D is of great concern to both animal and plant breeders, for dominance of the favored gene is an aid to selection when the gene frequency is low, but a hindrance when the gene frequency is high (LUSH 1947). At present, theory of the consequences in quantitative traits is further advanced than is experimental observation. For practical implications to breeding programs, as well as for a check of the validity of the theory, the need of experimental study of dominance in quantitative characters is indicated. The present report is a continuation of the previous studies (CHAI 1956a, b) and is concerned mainly with the effect of dominance on the variability of body size in mice.