Although, beetles of the genus Tribolium first evolved as saprophylic insects, they have adapted to the stored products environment for several thousand years. In this study reproductive strategies are described for eight species of Tribolium that are known to occur in this environment. Experiments were conducted under the same conditions for every species, and several life history traits, incl...

O NE hundred seventy-nine ewe lambs from a three-breed polyallel cross involving the Willamette, Suffolk and Hampshire breeds were used to study the genetic aspects of fertility. Ewe birth weight, ewe weight at mating and fertility were analyzed in relation to heterosis, general combining ability, maternal effect, reciprocal differences, and the effects of a hormone treatment. Treatment consist...

Selection can facilitate diversification by inducing character displacement in mate choice traits that reduce the probability of maladaptive mating between lineages. Although reproductive character displacement (RCD) has been demonstrated in two-taxa case studies, the frequency of this process in nature is still debated. Moreover, studies have focused primarily on visual and acoustic traits, de...

The data entered into KIDPLAN, the national goat performance recording program in Australia was summarised. The summary includes the number of active breeding animals added since the development of the program, the number of records recorded per trait in 2013 with the average phenotype and variance and, the average EBV and accuracy for various traits since the programs’ development. The number ...

Purebred Angus (A), Polled Hereford (PH) and Santa Gertrudis (SG) bulls were mated to grades, two-breed and three-breed rotational crosses of these breeds (seven herds) to produce three generations (G1, G2 and G3) of calves. The grade A and PH cows were higher in A and PH breeding, respectively, than grade SG cows were in SG breeding. Reproductive performance among grade and rotational-cross he...

In temperate climates, the cost of providing feed is greater in winter than in other seasons, causing ewes to be fed restricted rations during some periods of pregnancy. Epidemiological information indicates that undernutrition of the fetus may affect its health and performance in later life (i.e., fetal programming), and these effects may be passed between generations. The primary focus of the...

Using internet-based software known as 1000Minds, choice-experiment surveys were administered to experts and farmers from the Irish sheep industry to capture their preferences with respect to the relative importance - represented by part-worth utilities - of target traits in the definition of a breeding objective for sheep in Ireland. Sheep production in Ireland can be broadly separated into lo...