A Bayesian analysis of response to selection for uterine capacity in rabbits |
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| Authors: | Blasco Argente Santacreu Sorensen & Bidanel |
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| Institution: | Departamento de Ciencia Animal;Universidad Politécnica de Valencia,Valencia Spain |
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| Abstract: | A divergent, eight generation selection experiment on uterine capacity in rabbits was performed. Rabbit does were ovariectomized unilaterally before puberty, and selected for increased and decreased litter size by 'best linear unbiased prediction' using data from up to four parities. Two different analyses were performed to estimate the response to selection. The first was based on least squares analysis; the second was based on Bayesian methods using Gibbs sampling techniques. Three different priors were used for variance components, but these had little influence on the results. Posterior means of heritabilities for uterine capacity, varied from 0.09 to 0.12, and repeatabilities from 0.18 to 0.22. The response to eight generations of selection was symmetrical and led to a divergence of 0.16 young rabbits per generation, which amounts to about 2% of the average litter size of the base population per generation. The pattern of response however, was not linear: a high initial response was followed by a period where little further response was observed, and a final burst of response was obtained during the last two cycles of selection. |
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