Prenatal Maternal Genetic, Permanent Environmental And Paternal Epigenetic Effects In New Zealand Dairy Cattle

Abstract

1st lactation milk production data from NZ dairy cows were analyzed using an animal model that included additive genetic, maternal genetic, dam permanent environmental and paternal epigenetic effects. The h² estimates varied between 0.267 (protein) and 0.332 (volume), the m² between 0.001(fat) and 0.016 (protein) and the pe² between 0.000 (fat) and 0.011 (volume). The correlation between the breeding values estimated with and without the maternal genetic and dam permanent environment effects was between 0.97 and 0.98 for all 3 traits. In a separate analysis containing only the additive genetic, maternal genetic and the permanent environmental effects of the sire (paternal epigenetic), the paternal epigenetic heritability was between 0.006 (volume) and 0.014 (protein). The correlation between breeding values estimated with and without the paternal epigenetic effect was between 0.97 and 1.00 for all 3 traits.