genetic selection to improve economically important traits. Most recently, much of that progress has been through the implementation of expected progeny differences (EPDs). Expected progeny differences make it possible to compare the genetic merit of two or more animals for any number of traits. Most EPDs involve growth or carcass traits, because most producers are paid by the pound, or in some...

Genetic parameters for survival, reproduction and production traits were estimated for a sire and dam line, originating from one Large White breed separated more than 25 years ago. The change in parameters due to different selection pressure on reproduction and production traits in both lines was also examined. Data collected between 1990 and 2007 were available for the analysis of reproduction...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Plant functional traits are assumed to be adaptive. As selection acts on individuals and not on traits, interpreting the adaptive value of a trait not may be straightforward. For example, productive leaves are associated with fertile environments. However, it is not clear if productive leaves confer an advantage in these habitats, or if they are an advantage as part of a sui...

Growth hormone (GH) has an effect on a broad variety of physiological parameters such as lactation, reproduction, growth and metabolism. Thus, the aim of this study was to detect GH gene polymorphism and its association with breeding values of production and reproduction traits in Raini Cashmere goat. Breeding values were estimated using records on 26731 Raini Cashmere goats. To study GH gene p...

The aim of this review is to give insight into the reproduction potential of the Boer goat doe. Assessment of the reproduction traits in the Boer goat doe demonstrates a mean body weight at puberty of between 30.6 and 27.5kg, depending on the dietary energy level. Kids weaned during the natural breeding season (April/May) exhibit oestrus or puberty earlier than those weaned outside the natural ...

In dioecious plants, females typically invest more biomass in reproduction than males and consequently experience stronger life-history trade-offs. Sexual dimorphism in life history runs counter to this pattern in Silene latifolia: females acquire less carbon and invest more biomass in reproduction, but males pay a higher cost of reproduction. The species is sexually dimorphic for many traits, ...

Life-history theory predicts that selection will favor optimal levels of parental effort that balance benefits of current reproduction with costs to survival and future reproduction. The optimal level of effort depends on parental traits, offspring traits, and provisioning strategy. Additionally, how these factors influence effort may differ depending on the stage of reproduction. The relative ...

Although sexual reproduction implies a cost, it represents an evolutionary advantage for the adaptation and survival of facultative sexual pathogens. Understanding the maintenance of sex in pathogens requires to analyse how host resistance will impact their sexual reproduction through the alteration of their life-history traits. We explored this experimentally using potato (Solanum tuberosum) a...

There are indications that progress in litter size may be increasing as programmes put more emphasis on reproduction traits and the use of BLUP with minimal inbreeding becomes more widespread. While growth rate, lean growth and feed conversion continue to show significant progress there is some evidence that selection against backfat is decreasing as programmes switch emphasis towards reproduct...

Leptin gene is considered as marker of production and reproduction traits in dairy or beef cattle. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic polymorphism in LEP gene in Hariana cows and their associations with reproduction traits. The blood samples were collected from 62 Hariana cows and analyzed in order to identify LEP/BsaAI (BTA 4, intron 2 and exon 3) genotypes using PCR-RFLP met...