Question

Individual’s estimated breeding value is the product of

• A. phenotypic value and heritability
• B. phenotypic variance and heritability
• C. phenotypic value and genetic variance
• D. phenotypic value and dominance variance

Hint:

Because an offspring inherits only half of its parents' genes, the expected progeny difference (EPD) is equal to half of the estimated breeding value: \(\text{EPD} = \frac{1}{2} \text{EBV}\).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
The Estimated Breeding Value (EBV) is an estimate of the genetic merit of an animal.
It predicts the value of the genes that the animal will pass on to its progeny.
Key Formula or Approach:
The basic formula to calculate an individual's estimated breeding value based on its own phenotypic performance is: \[ \text{EBV} = h^2 \cdot P \]
where:
- \(h^2\) is the narrow-sense heritability of the trait.
- \(P\) is the individual's phenotypic deviation (phenotypic value minus the population mean).

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The phenotypic value of an animal is determined by its genes and its environment.
Heritability (\(h^2\)) represents the proportion of the total phenotypic variation that is due to additive genetic effects.
To estimate how much of an individual's phenotypic superiority is genetic and can be passed to its offspring, we multiply its phenotypic deviation by the heritability of the trait.
Therefore, the estimated breeding value is the product of the individual's phenotypic value (deviation) and the trait's heritability.

Step 3: Final Answer:
An individual's estimated breeding value is the product of its phenotypic value and heritability.