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Ch. 25 - Quantitative Genetics and Multifactorial Traits
Klug - Concepts of Genetics  12th Edition
Klug12th EditionConcepts of Genetics ISBN: 9780135564776Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 25, Problem 17

Suppose you want to develop a population of Drosophila that would rapidly learn to avoid certain substances the flies could detect by smell. Based on the heritability estimate you obtained in Problem 16, do you think it would be worth doing this by artificial selection? Why or why not?

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Recall that heritability (denoted as \(h^2\)) measures the proportion of phenotypic variation in a trait that is due to genetic variation within a population. It ranges from 0 to 1, where values closer to 1 indicate a strong genetic influence.
Understand that the response to artificial selection depends on the heritability of the trait. The higher the heritability, the more effective artificial selection will be in changing the trait in subsequent generations.
Use the breeder's equation to predict the response to selection: \(R = h^2 \times S\), where \(R\) is the response to selection (change in the trait mean), \(h^2\) is the heritability, and \(S\) is the selection differential (difference between the mean of selected parents and the population mean).
Evaluate the heritability estimate obtained in Problem 16. If \(h^2\) is high (close to 1), artificial selection is likely to be effective in rapidly increasing the flies' ability to learn to avoid certain substances. If \(h^2\) is low (close to 0), the trait is mostly influenced by environmental factors, and artificial selection will have little effect.
Conclude whether it is worth pursuing artificial selection based on the magnitude of \(h^2\). A high heritability suggests it is worth doing, while a low heritability suggests it may not be an efficient approach.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Heritability

Heritability measures the proportion of phenotypic variation in a trait that is due to genetic differences among individuals in a population. It ranges from 0 to 1, where higher values indicate that genetics strongly influence the trait, making it more responsive to selection.
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Calculating Heritability

Artificial Selection

Artificial selection is the intentional breeding of organisms with desirable traits to enhance those traits in future generations. Its effectiveness depends on the genetic basis of the trait and the heritability, as traits with low heritability respond poorly to selection.
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Artificial Selection

Behavioral Genetics in Drosophila

Behavioral genetics studies how genes influence behavior, such as olfactory learning in Drosophila. Understanding the genetic contribution to learning ability is crucial to predict if selective breeding can improve avoidance of certain smells.
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Descriptive Genetics
Related Practice
Textbook Question

A hypothetical study investigated the vitamin A content and the cholesterol content of eggs from a large population of chickens. The following variances (V) were calculated.

Which trait, if either, is likely to respond to selection?

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Textbook Question

In a herd of dairy cows the narrow-sense heritability for milk protein content is 0.76, and for milk butterfat it is 0.82. The correlation coefficient between milk protein content and butterfat is 0.91. If the farmer selects for cows producing more butterfat in their milk, what will be the most likely effect on milk protein content in the next generation?

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Textbook Question

In an assessment of learning in Drosophila, flies were trained to avoid certain olfactory cues. In one population, a mean of 8.5 trials was required. A subgroup of this parental population that was trained most quickly (mean=6.0) was interbred, and their progeny were examined. These flies demonstrated a mean training value of 7.5. Calculate realized heritability for olfactory learning in Drosophila.

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Textbook Question

In a population of tomato plants, mean fruit weight is 60 g and is 0.3. Predict the mean weight of the progeny if tomato plants whose fruit averaged 80 g were selected from the original population and interbred.

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Textbook Question

In a population of 100 inbred, genotypically identical rice plants, variance for grain yield is 4.67. What is the heritability for yield? Would you advise a rice breeder to improve yield in this strain of rice plants by selection?

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Textbook Question

Many traits of economic or medical significance are determined by quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in which many genes, usually scattered throughout the genome, contribute to expression.

What general procedures are used to identify such loci?

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