A genetic study on sexual dimorphism of bodyweight in sheep
Farhad Ghafouri-Kesbi A C , Ghodratollah Rahimi Mianji B , Zarbakht Ansari Pirsaraei B , Seyed Hasan Hafezian B , Hasan Baneh A and Bijan Soleimani AA Islamic Azad University, Karaj Branch, Karaj, Iran.
B Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal and Fishery Sciences, Agricultural Science and Natural Resources University of Sari, Sari, Iran.
C Corresponding author. Email: farhad_ghy@yahoo.com
Animal Production Science 55(1) 101-106 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN13316
Submitted: 26 May 2013 Accepted: 5 November 2013 Published: 14 January 2014
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the genetic basis of sexual dimorphism of bodyweight in Zandi sheep. To do this, a pedigree including 1450 dams and 170 sires was used. Six bivariate animal models were applied for investigating direct and maternal effects for three age-specific bodyweights (bodyweight at birth, 3 and 6 months of age) in male and female Zandi lambs. The variance components were estimated via REML procedure. Males were, respectively, 6%, 7% and 9% heavier than females at birth, weaning and 6 months of age. Estimates of sexual dimorphism levels (expressed as M/F) were 1.11 at birth, 1.07 at weaning and 1.09 at 6 months of age, which indicated relatively low levels of sexual size dimorphism in the traits studied. Except for birthweight, for which estimates of additive genetic, residual and phenotypic variances as well as direct heritability and additive coefficient of variation were higher in females, for other traits studied, estimates were higher in males. However, regarding direct and maternal effects, none of the differences between the sexes was significant, indicating no need for sexual selection. Cross-sex genetic correlations were 0.862 at birth, 0.918 at weaning and 0.922 at 6 months of age, which highlighted birthweight as the most dimorphic trait. It was concluded that, owing to possible contribution of sexual chromosomes to variation of growth-related traits, bodyweight in male and female lambs may not be under the exactly same genetic control.
Additional keywords: animal model, bodyweight, direct effects, maternal effects.
References
Akaike H (1973) Information theory and an extension of the maximum likelihood principle. In ‘Proceedings of the 2nd international symposium on information theory’. (Eds BN Petrov, F Csaki) pp. 267–281. (Akademiai Kiado: Budapest)Al-Bial A, Singh J, Singh DP, Niwas R (2012) Environmental and genetic factors on growth traits of Black Bangal sheep in Yemen. The Bioscan 7, 185–188.
Dass G, Sing VK, Ayub M (2004) Growth performance of Magra sheep under hot arid climate. The Indian Journal of Animal Sciences 74, 441–443.
Eskandarinasab MP, Ghafouri-Kesbi F, Abbasi MA (2010) Different models for evaluation of growth traits and Kleiber ratio in an experimental flock of Iranian fat-tailed Afshari sheep. Journal of Animal Breeding and Genetics 127, 26–33.
| Different models for evaluation of growth traits and Kleiber ratio in an experimental flock of Iranian fat-tailed Afshari sheep.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3c%2Fis1Wltg%3D%3D&md5=a742b410322403dba203bc332c1db84bCAS |
Ghafouri-Kesbi F, Eskandarinasab MP (2008) An evaluation of maternal influences on growth traits: the Zandi sheep breed of Iran as an example. Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences 17, 519–529.
Gudex BW Condro C Marshal K van der Werf JHJ 2009
Henderson CR (1984) ‘Applications of linear models in animal breeding.’ (University of Guelph Publishing: Guelph, Canada)
Houle D (1992) Comparing evolvability and variability of quantitative traits. Genetics 130, 195–204.
Kruuk LEB, Clutton-Brock TH, Slate J, Pemberton JM, Brotherstone S, Guinness FE (2000) Heritability of fitness in a wild mammal population. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 97, 698–703.
| Heritability of fitness in a wild mammal population.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXot1ahtQ%3D%3D&md5=ef0d2c6d0133123c9b0ff5165d86d6fcCAS |
Lindholm A, Hunt J, Brooks R (2006) Where do all the maternal effects go? Variation in offspring body size through ontogeny in the live-bearing fish Poeciliaparae. Biology Letters 2, 586–589.
| Where do all the maternal effects go? Variation in offspring body size through ontogeny in the live-bearing fish Poeciliaparae.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17148295PubMed |
Lovich JE, Gibbons JW (1992) A review of techniques for quantifying sexual size dimorphism. Growth, Development, and Aging 56, 269–281.
Maniatis G, Demiris N, Kranis A, Banos G, Kominakis A (2013) Genetic analysis of sexual dimorphism of body weight in broilers. Journal of Applied Genetics 54, 61–70.
| Genetic analysis of sexual dimorphism of body weight in broilers.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3sXht1Ojsrw%3D&md5=974df3da70006e5f26bc58a3c32aa664CAS | 23001961PubMed |
Meyer K (2007) WOMBAT – a tool for mixed model analyses of quantitative genetics by REML. Journal of Zhejiang University. Science. B. 8, 815–821.
| WOMBAT – a tool for mixed model analyses of quantitative genetics by REML.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 17973343PubMed |
Miller GF, Penke L (2007) The evolution of human intelligence and the coefficient of additive genetic variance in human brain size. Intelligence 35, 97–114.
| The evolution of human intelligence and the coefficient of additive genetic variance in human brain size.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Milner JM, Pemberton JM, Brotherstone S, Albon SD (2000) Estimating variance components and heritabilities in the wild: a case study using the ‘animal model’ approach. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 13, 804–813.
| Estimating variance components and heritabilities in the wild: a case study using the ‘animal model’ approach.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Miraei-Ashtiani SR, Seyedalian SAR, Moradi Shahrbabak M (2007) Variance components and heritabilities for body weight traits in Sangsari sheep,using univariate and multivariate animal models. Small Ruminant Research 73, 109–114.
| Variance components and heritabilities for body weight traits in Sangsari sheep,using univariate and multivariate animal models.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Näsholm A (2004) Influence of sex on genetic expressions and variance of 4-month weight of Swedish lambs. Livestock Production Science 86, 137–142.
| Influence of sex on genetic expressions and variance of 4-month weight of Swedish lambs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Polák J, Frynta D (2009) Sexual size dimorphism in domestic goats, sheep, and their wild relatives. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 98, 872–883.
| Sexual size dimorphism in domestic goats, sheep, and their wild relatives.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Safari E, Fogarty NM, Gilmour AR (2005) A review of genetic parameter estimates for wool, growth, meat and reproduction traits in sheep. Livestock Production Science 92, 271–289.
| A review of genetic parameter estimates for wool, growth, meat and reproduction traits in sheep.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
SAS Institute Inc. (2004) ‘User’s guide, version 9.’ (SAS Institute: Cary, NC)
Willmore KE, Roseman CC, Rogers J, Richtsmeier JT, Cheverud JM (2009) Genetic variation in Baboon caraniofacial sexual dimorphism. Evolution 63, 799–806.
| Genetic variation in Baboon caraniofacial sexual dimorphism.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19210535PubMed |
Wilson AJ, Coltman DW, Pemberton JM, Overall ADJ, Byrne KA, Kruuk LEB (2005) Maternal genetic effects set the potential for evolution in a free-living vertebrate population. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 18, 405–414.
| Maternal genetic effects set the potential for evolution in a free-living vertebrate population.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BD2M%2Fos1KrtA%3D%3D&md5=c04fdc03e7045f442cc60089e5dda62cCAS | 15715846PubMed |
Wittenburg D, Teuscher F, Reinsch N (2011) Statistical tools to detect genetic variation for a sex dimorphism in piglet birth weight. Journal of Animal Science 89, 622–629.
| Statistical tools to detect genetic variation for a sex dimorphism in piglet birth weight.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXjtlSmtrs%3D&md5=d08c3163dad2b139562185b62f467a70CAS | 21075967PubMed |
Wolf JB, Brodie ED, Cheverud JM, Moore AJ, Wade MJ (1998) Evolutionary consequences of indirect genetic effects. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 13, 64–69.
| Evolutionary consequences of indirect genetic effects.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:STN:280:DC%2BC3M7itFyhtA%3D%3D&md5=1b85806bb707873303d229e50f3e7089CAS |
Yilmaz O, Denk H, Bayram D (2007) Effects of lambing season, sex and birth type on growth performance in Norduz lambs. Small Ruminant Research 68, 336–339.
| Effects of lambing season, sex and birth type on growth performance in Norduz lambs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
