GENETIC CORRELATION BETWEEN GROWTH RATE AND LITTER SIZE IN MICE

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Abstract
The genetic correlation between postweaning growth rate and litter size in mice was approximated as the ratio of an estimate of their additive genetic covariance to the square root of the product of estimates of their additive genetic variances. Additive genetic covariance was estimated in terms of parent-offspring covariance, additive genetic variances in terms of parent-offspring covariances and sire components of variance. The variance of each estimate was approximated and appropriate estimates combined in a weighted average using weights inversely proportional to estimated variances. Estimates obtained were as follows additive genetic variance (growth rate), 0. 306 [plus or minus] 0.097; additive genetic variance (litter size), 0. 29 [plus or minus] 0.107; additive genetic covariance between growth rate and litter size, 0.046 [plus or minus] 0. 229; heritability (growth rate), 0. 214 [plus or minus] 0.068; and heritability (litter size), 0.11 [plus or minus] 0. 041. The estimate of genetic correlation between the two traits was 0.153, but was not significantly different from zero. These results suggest that correlated response, if any, of litter size to selection for growth should be in the direction of larger litters. The actual genetic change in average litter size for the population during the entire period of selection (13 generations) was estimated, in terms of linear regression, to be 0.082 [plus or minus] 0.035 per generation.

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