Variance Component Analysis and Heritability of Antler Traits in White-Tailed Deer

Lukefahr, S. D.; Jacobson, Harry A.

doi:10.2307/3802287

Cited by 37 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…At 25-30%, skin darkness reaches levels of heritability similar to those reported for male body size and weaponry more commonly encountered in mammals (e.g. white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus [66]; red deer, Cervus elaphus [67]; Soay sheep [7]). The difference between skin redness and darkness in patterns of selection and heritability is likely to be linked to the underlying mechanisms involved in expression of the signal.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Sexually selected skin colour is heritable and related to fecundity in a non-human primate

et al. 2014

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Sexual selection promotes the prevalence of heritable traits that increase an individual's reproductive rate. Despite theoretically strong directional selection, sexually selected traits can show inter-individual variation. Here, we investigate whether red skin ornamentation, a rare example of a male mammalian trait involved in mate attraction, influences fecundity and is heritable in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), and explore the mechanisms that are involved in maintaining trait variation. Interestingly, the trait is expressed by and is attractive to both sexes. We collected facial images of 266 freeranging individuals and modelled skin redness and darkness to rhesus macaque vision. We used 20 years of genetic parentage data to calculate selection gradients on the trait and perform heritability analyses. Results show that males who were both darkly coloured and high-ranking enjoyed higher fecundity. Female skin redness was positively linked to fecundity, although it remains unclear whether this influences male selectiveness. Heritability explained 10-15% of the variation in redness and darkness, and up to 30% for skin darkness when sexes are considered separately, suggesting sex-influenced inheritance. Our results suggest that inter-individual variation is maintained through condition-dependence, with an added effect of balancing selection on male skin darkness, providing rare evidence for a mammalian trait selected through inter-sexual selection.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 61%

Sexually selected skin colour is heritable and related to fecundity in a non-human primate

et al. 2014

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“…As is the case for fishing, hunting for many animals can produce the paradoxical situation of selecting against the traits that are preferred by hunters (18). Because variation in many of these traits has an appreciable genetic component (54)(55)(56)(57), such selection is likely to produce detectable evolutionary responses that reduce the ability of breeders with desirable characteristics to contribute to reproduction (58). Harris et al (52) argued that available information is sufficient to recommend hunting patterns that minimize deviations of sex-and agespecific mortality rates from natural mortality rates.…”

Section: Huntingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human-induced evolution caused by unnatural selection through harvest of wild animals

Allendorf

Hard

2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

475

417

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Human harvest of phenotypically desirable animals from wild populations imposes selection that can reduce the frequencies of those desirable phenotypes. Hunting and fishing contrast with agricultural and aquacultural practices in which the most desirable animals are typically bred with the specific goal of increasing the frequency of desirable phenotypes. We consider the potential effects of harvest on the genetics and sustainability of wild populations. We also consider how harvesting could affect the mating system and thereby modify sexual selection in a way that might affect recruitment. Determining whether phenotypic changes in harvested populations are due to evolution, rather than phenotypic plasticity or environmental variation, has been problematic. Nevertheless, it is likely that some undesirable changes observed over time in exploited populations (e.g., reduced body size, earlier sexual maturity, reduced antler size, etc.) are due to selection against desirable phenotypes-a process we call ''unnatural'' selection. Evolution brought about by human harvest might greatly increase the time required for over-harvested populations to recover once harvest is curtailed because harvesting often creates strong selection differentials, whereas curtailing harvest will often result in less intense selection in the opposing direction. We strongly encourage those responsible for managing harvested wild populations to take into account possible selective effects of harvest management and to implement monitoring programs to detect exploitation-induced selection before it seriously impacts viability.conservation ͉ genetic change ͉ human exploitation

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“…In males, we observed a decrease in variation attributed to birth year from fawn to adult age classes similar to maternal effects, which tend to disappear later in life (Lukefahr and Jacobson 1998). The decrease in E P for male deer from fawns to 2 years of age may reflect compensatory growth or diminishing permanent environmental effects over time.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…to estimate heritability of phenotypic traits) being conducted on captive populations in which pedigrees were available and breeding was controlled (Williams et al 1994;Lukefahr and Jacobson 1998;Lockwood et al 2007). Although long-term datasets on wild populations continue to accumulate (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variance component analysis of body mass in a wild population of deer (Odocoileus virginianus): results from two decades of research

et al. 2013

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Context. Long-term studies of large, vertebrate mammals using capture-recapture data are scarce, even though long-term ecological studies are requisite to understanding quantitative genetics and evolutionary processes that can be applied as part of management programs.Aims. Objectives were to (1) partition components of variation in body mass to understand the differential effects of environmental variation on the sexes during ontogeny, to better prescribe habitat-improvement projects, and (2) estimate repeatability to assess potential for selection on body mass.Methods. We used a 23-year dataset of capture-recapture records of wild white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to estimate components of variance and repeatability of body mass. We used an animal-model approach that employed the use of general linear mixed models and restricted maximum likelihood to adjust for the effects of age (i.e. fixed effect), and to partition the total phenotypic variance into among-individual (i.e. the deer), permanent environmental (i.e. year of birth) and temporary environmental (i.e. year of measurement and residual) effects (all modelled as random effects).Key results. We found that body mass increased with age in both sexes, repeatability of body mass was 0.595 for females and 0.716 for males, and among-individual variation was more influential on body mass than were permanent and temporary environmental effects combined. Year of birth was more important in males than females, but changed during the course of ontogeny for both sexes. Year of measurement did not influence post-rut body mass in males, but did contribute to variation in body mass of females.Conclusions. These long-term data offer insights into the sources of variation that influence body mass of deer, which can be used to understand how environmental sources of variation influence phenotypic traits, and for developing management plans and making selection decisions.Implications. Knowledge of repeatability (as an upper limit to heritability) can be used to make management decisions related to selection, culling and breeding, whereas understanding environmental effects can lead to better management recommendations (e.g. habitat-improvement projects).

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Variance Component Analysis and Heritability of Antler Traits in White-Tailed Deer

Cited by 37 publications

References 12 publications

Sexually selected skin colour is heritable and related to fecundity in a non-human primate

Sexually selected skin colour is heritable and related to fecundity in a non-human primate

Human-induced evolution caused by unnatural selection through harvest of wild animals

Variance component analysis of body mass in a wild population of deer (Odocoileus virginianus): results from two decades of research

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