VETM 1003: ANIMAL BREEDING AND

GENETICS

Lecture 1: General Introduction & Course

Overview

Kavita R. Lall, B.Sc. (Hons.), D.V.M. (Hons.), M.Sc. (Dist.)

 OUTLINE

 Definitions

 Animal genetics

 History of animal breeding

 Important developments in animal breeding

 Reasons for scientific breeding

 Basics of classical genetics

 Genetic terms
 DEFINITIONS

Animal breeding

 The application of the principles of animal

genetics with the goal of bringing about
genetic improvement in the performance or
productivity of farm animals

 Producing improved breeds of

domesticated animals by improving their
genotypes through selective mating
 DEFINITIONS CONT’D

Two methods of animals breeding are:

 Inbreeding - when breeding is between

animals of the same breed for 4-6
generations

 Out breeding - breeding between unrelated

animals which may be between individuals
of the same breed (but having no common
ancestors) or between different breeds
(cross breeding)
 DEFINITIONS CONT’D

Animal genetics

 The study of the principles which govern the

inheritance or passage of traits from parents
to offsprings in animals (one generation to
the next)

 The field encompasses topics such as genetic

variability, genetic testing and animal
breeding
 DEFINITIONS CONT’D

Scientific breeding

 The application of animal genetic principles

to animal breeding
 ANIMAL GENETICS

The study and application of animal genetics falls into

4 main areas:

1. Mendelian Genetics

2. Population Genetics

3. Quantitative Genetics

4. Molecular Genetics
HISTORY OF ANIMAL BREEDING

• Domestication
• Natural Selection
1
• Sir Robert Bakewell (1725 – 1795)
• First to start breeding and establish
2 breeds

• Darwin (1800s)
• The Origin of Species (1859)
3
HISTORY OF ANIMAL BREEDING
CONT’D

• Gregor Mendel (1800s)

• Garden peas experiment (1866; published)
4

• 1900s
• 3 botanists rediscovered Mendel's law
5

• Breed associations formed (1900s)

• Specific characteristics of each breed
6 were decided upon
 HISTORY OF ANIMAL BREEDING
CONT’D

• Fisher, Haldane and Wright (1918-1939)

• Foundations of genetic theory and analytic methods of
7 population genetics

• Professor Jay Lush (1919-1966)

• Quantitative trait measurement; progeny testing;
computerized data management; measured traits
8 from birth to death

• John H. Knox (1934-1964)

• Uniformity helped protect from selecting against
younger calves
9
 HISTORY OF ANIMAL BREEDING
CONT’D

• Henderson and Sir Alan Robertson

(around 1950)
10 • Developed methods of computer
evaluation of dairy sires

11 • J.S. Brinks (1970-1990)

• Centralized testing of gametes
OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS

 Establishment of Dairy Herd

Improvement Associations

 Computer evaluation of records

 Statistical Analysis
OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
CONT’D

 Developments in Artificial Insemination

and reproductive technologies

 These developments led to one of the most

successful stories in animal breeding

 The rate of genetic gain

OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
CONT’D (Comstock 1960)

 Formation of standard and pure bred

registry associations

 Development of Mendelism and

population and quantitative genetic
theory

 Recognition of the value of cross breeding

OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
CONT’D (Comstock 1960)

 Renewed breed formation and

the foundation of the Inbred
Livestock Registry Association

 The shift of emphasis in

selection to economic traits
OTHER IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS
CONT’D (Comstock 1960)

 The analysis of selection effects

 Measurements of back fat thickness on live

hogs

 General adoption of performance testing

for breeding stock

 The building up of large breeding

populations under unified control
REASONS FOR SCIENTIFIC BREEDING

1. To improve growth rate

2. To increase production of meat,

egg, milk, wool, etc.

3. To increase quality of products,

such as meat, egg, milk, wool,
etc.
REASONS FOR SCIENTIFIC BREEDING
CONT’D

4. To improve resistance to
various diseases

5. To increase productive life

6. To increase reproductive rate

REASONS FOR SCIENTIFIC BREEDING
CONT’D

7. To meet economic pressures to

intensify agricultural production

8. For new research and

developments which could have an
impact on how breeders do their
work
REASONS FOR SCIENTIFIC BREEDING
CONT’D

9. The genetic task facing animals breeders:

1. To find out through performance
records what we have genetically

2. To raise the productive potential of

productive efficiency by making better
combinations of genetic materials
through systems of breeding and
selection
 BASICS OF CLASSICAL GENETICS

 The foundation for all other areas in

genetics

 It is the oldest discipline in the field of

genetics, going back to the experiments by
Gregor Mendel, who made it possible to
identify the basic mechanisms of heredity

 It is concerned primarily with the method

by which genetic traits are transmitted in
plants and animals
 BASICS OF CLASSICAL GENETICS
CONT’D

 It is the branch of genetics based solely

on visible results of reproductive acts

 These traits may be sex-linked or

autosomal

 Today’s main reason for performing

classical genetics is for gene discovery
 GENETIC TERMS

 Gene - the basic unit of heredity consisting of a DNA

sequence at a specific location on a chromosome,
which code for the expression and control of proteins

 Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) - the molecule

that forms the genetic code

 Chromosome - one of a number of long strands of

DNA and associated proteins present in the nucleus
of every cell
 GENETIC TERMS CONT’D

 Genotype - the set of genes in each individual that is

responsible for the expression of particular traits

 Phenotype - the physical characteristics or traits that

are expressed as a consequence of an organism’s
genotype

 Homozygote (homozygous genotype) - one locus

genotype containing functionally identical genes

 Heterozygote (heterozygous genotype) - one

locus genotype containing functionally different genes
 GENETIC TERMS CONT’D

 Homolog - one of a pair of chromosomes having

corresponding loci

 Locus - the specific location of a gene on a

chromosome (denotes the site of a particular gene)

 Allele - an alternate form of a gene

 Multiple Alleles - more than two possible allelles

at a locus
 GENETIC TERMS CONT’D

 Dominant trait – an inherited characteristic that

appears in an offspring if it is contributed from a parent
through a dominant allele

 Recessive trait – phenotype characteristics, which are

displayed when a gene has two recessive alleles at a locus
within a chromosome

 Polygenic trait – traits that are controlled by two or

more genes (usually by many different genes) at different
loci on different chromosomes
 GENETIC TERMS CONT’D

 Sex-linked trait – a trait genetically determined by

an allele located on the sex chromosome (X and Y)

 Autosomal trait - any trait not dependent on sex

chromosomes (a chromosome that is not a sex
chromosome). It serves to pass genetic traits from
parent to offspring(s)