Advances in Statistical Methods for Genetic Improvement of Livestock Advanced Series in Agricultural Sciences

Developments in statistics and computing as well as their application to genetic improvement of livestock gained momentum over the last 20 years. This text reviews and consolidates the statistical foundations of animal breeding. This text will prove useful as a reference source to animal breeders, quantitative geneticists and statisticians working in these areas. It will also serve as a text in graduate courses in animal breeding methodology with prerequisite courses in linear models, statistical inference and quantitative genetics. Front Matter....Pages i-xx Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Statistical Methods In Animal Improvement: Historical Overview....Pages 2-14 Mixed Model Methodology and the Box-Cox Theory of Transformations: A Bayesian Approach....Pages 15-40 Models for Discrimination Between Alternative Modes of Inheritance....Pages 41-55 Back Matter....Pages 56-57 Front Matter....Pages 59-59 Considerations in the Design of Animal Breeding Experiments....Pages 59-76 Use of Mixed Model Methodology in Analysis of Designed Experiments....Pages 77-97 Statistical Aspects of Design of Animal Breeding Programs: A Comparison Among Various Selection Strategies....Pages 98-117 Optimal Designs for Sire Evaluation Schemes....Pages 118-131 Back Matter....Pages 132-134 Front Matter....Pages 135-135 Computational Aspects of Likelihood-Based Inference for Variance Components....Pages 136-176 Parameter Estimation in Variance Component Models for Binary Response Data....Pages 177-189 Estimation of Genetic Parameters in Non-Linear Models....Pages 190-206 Back Matter....Pages 207-208 Front Matter....Pages 209-209 A Framework for Prediction of Breeding Value....Pages 210-238 BLUP (Best Linear Unbiased Prediction) and Beyond....Pages 239-276 Connectedness in Genetic Evaluation....Pages 277-308 Back Matter....Pages 309-310 Front Matter....Pages 311-311 Generalized Linear Models and Applications to Animal Breeding....Pages 312-328 Analysis of Linear and Non-Linear Growth Models with Random Parameters....Pages 329-343 Survival, Endurance and Censored Observations in Animal Breeding....Pages 344-360 Genetic Evaluation for Discrete Polygenic Traits in Animal Breeding....Pages 361-409 Back Matter....Pages 410-411 Front Matter....Pages 412-412 Accounting for Selection and Mating Biases in Genetic Evaluations....Pages 413-436 Statistical Inferences in Populations Undergoing Selection or Non-Random Mating....Pages 437-453 Problems in the Use of the Relationship Matrix in Animal Breeding....Pages 454-473 Back Matter....Pages 474-475 Front Matter....Pages 476-476 Identification of Genes with Large Effects....Pages 477-494 A General Linkage Method for the Detection of Major Genes....Pages 495-506 Reproductive Technology and Genetic Evaluation....Pages 507-532 Back Matter....Pages 533-534