Quantitative genetics

TASK 1:

Evaluate the variability of weight in two groups of mice and compare the results. Use the arithmetic average and variance.

First group: 15.5 g, 10.3 g, 11.7 g, 17.9 g, 14.1 g

Second group: 20.2 g, 21.2 g, 20.4 g, 22.0 g, 19.7 g

TASK 2:

In eight ducks, width of head and length of wing was measured (table).

Duck Width of head (cm) Length of wing (cm)
1 2.75 30.3
2 3.20 36.2
3 2.86 31.4
4 3.24 35.7
5 3.16 33.4
6 3.32 34.8
7 2.52 27.2
8 4.16 52.7
  1. Count the arithmetic average and standard deviation for these two traits (width of head and length of wing).
  2. Use the correlation coefficient to find out what correlation is between the two traits.

TASK 3:

The height of parents (average of father and mother) and their children was measured (table).

Height of children (cm) Height of parents (cm)
175 175
180 190
177 180
160 175
165 175
175 173
185 195
175 185
183 172
  1. Count the arithmetic average and the variance for the height of children and parents.
  2. Use the correlation coefficient to find out what correlation is between the height of parents and children.
  3. Count the narrow-sense heritability for the height (use regression coefficient).

TASK 4:

Heritability of height in wheat h2N = 0.7. There is a trend to reduce the height of wheat by selection. Will this goal be reached promptly or slowly?

TASK 5:

The height in humans has heritability h2N = 0.9. How much is the phenotype influenced by the environmental conditions?