Empirical Validation of the Dominance Model for Beef Cattle

Authors

D. D. Kress, Montana State University - Bozeman
D. E. Doornbos, Northern Agricultural Research Center
D. C. Anderson, Northern Agricultural Research Center

Date of this Version

1986

Comments

Published in 3rd World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production, edited by Gordon E. Dickerson and Rodger K. Johnson, 4 vols. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 1986). Copyright © 1986 Board of Regents University of Nebraska.

Abstract

Data from 770 records of Hereford, 25% Simmental - 75% Hereford, 50% Simmental - 50% Hereford and 75% Simmental - 25% Hereford cows were used to evaluate whether breed group means for maternal traits agreed with expectations based on the dominance model. Cows were managed consistent with practices for western range environments. Cow breed group was significant for 17 of the 18 traits studied. The measure of goodness of fit of the breed group means to the dominance model was the R² value associated with the linear regression of breed group means on proportion of Simmental for the first three breed groups. Most of the traits agreed with the dominance model expectation (83% of the R² values were greater than .75).