The objectives of this work were to evaluate birth and weaning traits, to estimate genetic effects, including heterosis and direct and maternal breed effects, and to evaluate calving difficulty, calf vigor at birth, and calf mortality of Romosinuano as purebreds and as crosses with Brahman and Angus. Calves (n = 1,348) were spring-born from 2002 through 2005 and weaned in the fall of each year ...

Genetic and environmental (co)variance components for 4% FCM yield were simultaneously estimated by REML for grade cows from herds stratified by within-herd SD for 305d mature equivalent milk and time period. Data were lactation records from 299,441 daughters of 2489 AI b d s that calved for the first time from 1970 to 1985 in California, New York, or Texas. Sire and residual variance component...

The objectives of this experiment were to characterize longissimus muscle color, texture, and firmness for beef carcasses of diverse biological types and to determine the genetic parameters of lean color, texture, and firmness. The carcasses (n = 3,641) used in this experiment were from steers produced by mating Angus, Brahman, Braunvieh, Charolais, Chianina, Galloway, Gelbvieh, Hereford, Jerse...

A joint sire and cow evaluation for selected type traits has been carried out for the Canadian Holstein population using an individual animal model accounting for all known relationships. Only first lactation, first classification linear records were utilized. Linear scores for final class/final score (combined), feet and legs, mammary system, and stature were analyzed. The model of analysis in...

Dispersal is an inseparable feature of animal life and a major determinant species distributions range dynamics. However, the role genetic architecture dispersal behaviour, hence potential for its evolution in range-expanding species, poorly understood. Here, we aimed to determine heritability behaviour invasive dwarf spider, Mermessus trilobatus , which has undergone rapid expansion Europe las...

In multibreed populations, bulls need to be evaluated for additive and nonadditive genetic effects. When the nonadditive genetic effects associated with a bull are defined as sire x breed-group-of-dam interactions, they can be expressed as linear combinations of interactions between alleles of one or more breeds at one or more loci. If these specific allelic interactions are assumed to be indep...

Although the aetiology of swimbladder inflation anomalies in important aquaculture species such as European sea bass D. labrax is not fully determined, culture conditions are commonly suggested as main contributory factors. Little information is available on whether swimbladder inflation has a genetic basis for its expression too. In this work, 24 full-sibling sea bass families from a 4 dams × ...

Beef sire selection decisions have a major impact on future calf crops and ultimately on profitability. Using available selection tools can help make better bull buying choices. A critical place to start when beginning the herd sire selection decision process is to evaluate the cow herd(s) that the sires will service. From these herd assessments, profiles of desirable herd sires can be develope...