Biology 2C03: Genetics

Tutorial 8 – Quantitative genetics

Yusra Tariq, Jason Lee, Kriesha Eyer

Objectives:
 Determine the number of genes for a polygenic trait
 Calculate the narrow- and broad-sense heritability

Outline: During this tutorial you will solve quantitative genetics problems.

Preparation
To prepare for the tutorial you should:

o Read this Guide

o From Genetic Potential until Threshold traits (pg. 714 – 719)
o From Statistical description of Phenotypic Variance until Selection differential paragraph
(including the beginning of Narrow Sense Heritability and Artificial Selection) (pg. 725 – 729)
from “Genetic analysis – an integrated approach” textbook
 Biology 2C03: Genetics
Tutorial 8 – Practice problems

1. Assume that plant height is determined by a pair of alleles at each of two independently assorting
loci (A and a, B and b) and that these alleles are additive in their effect on plant height. Each allele
represented by an uppercase letter contributes 4 cm to plant height. Each allele represented by a
lower case letter contributes 1 cm to plant height. The following cross is made: aa Bb x aa Bb

a) What is the expected plant height(s) produced in the F1?

aB, ab, aB, ab x aB, ab, aB, ab

Genotypes: aaBB, aaBb, aabb

aaBB: 1+1+4+4=10

aaBb: 1+1+4+1=7

aabb: 1+1+1+1=4

b) All the F1 progeny produced display the expected plant heights. One of the tallest plants is crossed
with one of the shortest plants. What is the distribution of plant height resulting from this cross?

aaBb: 1+1+4+1=7

2. A plant breeder has determined the following variances for yield of corn in his fields:

Total phenotypic variance 100

Additive genetic variance 30

Dominance genetic variance 50

Environmental variance 20

Assume that there is not genetic-environmental interaction or other variances.

(a) Calculate the total genetic variance.

Vg = Vp - Ve = 100 – 20 = 80

VG=VA+VD+VI=50+30=80

(b) Calculate the broad-sense heritability indicated by this data.

H^2 = VG/VP

= 80/100 = 0.8

(c) Calculate the narrow-sense heritability indicated by this data.

h^2 = VA/VP

= 30/100 = 0.3

3. Two different varieties of pumpkin have the same mean fresh weight of 22.5 lbs. However, one
variety (LV) has a very low variance, while the other (HV) has a much higher variance in fresh weight.

(a) What are some possible reasons for the differences in the variance between these two varieties?

- Different environmental or developmental conditions during growth

(b) If you were a pumpkin breeder and wanted to develop a heavier variety of pumpkin, which of
these two varieties would you select to start your breeding program? Explain why.

- low variety since the phenotypic outcome would be more consistent and thus if you breed a heavier
pumpkin there is a greater chance it will produce similar heavier pumpkins. There would be less variance
in pumpkin weight.

4. In a natural population of outbreeding plants, the variance of the total number of seeds per plant is
16. From the natural population, 20 plants are taken into the laboratory and developed into separate
true-breeding lines by self-fertilization—with selection for high, low, or medium number of seeds—for
10 generations. The average variance in the tenth generation in each of the 20 sets is about equal and
averages 5.8 across all the sets. Estimate the broad-sense heritability for seed number in this
population.
 - Variance of # seeds/plant = 16 = Vp
- 20 plants bred for 10 generations, avg variance is about equal to 5.8 for all sets = Vp
- F1 progeny, no genetic variance between individuals therefore all variation is Vg = vp-ve

Natural population: VP=16

Lab: VG=0, VE=5.8

H^2 = (16-5.8)/16 = 0.6375

5. Suppose that a study of college students in Sweden estimates heritability of IQ to be 0.8. Based on
this evidence, a school board in a struggling urban school district in the United States concludes that
improving teaching methods and the physical conditions of schools is useless because intellectual
achievement is determined almost entirely by genes and relatively little by the educational
environment. Critique this conclusion based on your understanding of heritability.

The heritability of a given trait is based largely on the environment in which a sample population is
studied. High variability also does not preclude environmental factors. Thus, it is not valid to assume the
heritability of IQ remains the same among the Swedish College students as the US urban school district.
Thus, a more accurate study should be performed with the students in the US school board.