Genetic estimations for body size characters, development period and development rate in a coccinelid beetle,Harmonia axyridis

Heritabilities and genetic correlations for body size characters and development period in a coccinellid beetle,Harmonia axyridis were estimated by a sib-analysis experiment. Positive genetic correlations were detected between size characters and development rate. If this is upheld in the field, genetic variation would be eliminated, as the loci affecting the characters are supposed to be fixed. However, the results indicated moderate heritabilities for all characters. Possible explanations for the results are discussed.     

How is life history variation generated from the genetic resource allocation?

A simple quantitative genetic model is proposed to explain the observed genetic correlation structure of a bruchid beetleCallosobruchus chinensis in terms of two underlying variables: the resource acquisition and the resource allocation. Heritabilities and genetic correlations among age-specific, fecundities are regarded as consequences of genetic variations of the two variables. Genetic correlations are predominantly positive in both predictions and observations. Nonetheless, comparison between observed and predicted values in heritabilities, genetic correlations, and genetic principal components suggested significant genetic variances both of the resource allocation and the resource acquisition. The prediction of the model is discussed in relation, to experimental tests of trade-off in life history evolution.     

Testing economic “genetic pleiotropy” for Box-Cox linear model

Abstract

Genetic pleiotropy occurs when a single gene influences two or more seemingly unrelated phenotypic traits. It is significant to detect pleiotropy and understand its causes. However, most current statistical methods to discover pleiotropy mainly test the null hypothesis that none of the traits is associated with a variant, which departures from the null to test just one associated trait or k associated traits. Schaid et al. (2016 Schaid, D. J., X. Tong, B. Larrabee, R. B. Kennedy, G. A. Poland, and J. P. Sinnwell. 2016. Statistical methods for testing genetic pleiotropy. Genetics 204 (2):483–97. doi:10.1534/genetics.116.189308.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) first proposed a sequential testing framework to analyze pleiotropy based on a linear model and a multivariate normal distribution. In this paper, we analyze the Economic pleiotropy which occurs when an economic action or policy influences two or more economic phenomena. In this paper, we extend the linear model to Box-Cox transformation model and proposed a new decision method. It improves the efficiency of hypothesis test and controls the Type I error. We then apply the method using economic data to multivariate sectoral employments in response to governmental expenditures and provide a quantitative assessment and some insights of different impacts from economic policy.     

Mortality modeling: A review

Looking at survival in terms of biological indicators of aging has given rise to various models of mortality, some of which we review here. The most notable models are that of Strehler and Mildvan, which relates the force of mortality to the ability of organisms to compensate for stress, and that of Sacher and Trucco, which describes the role played by homeostatic forces in shaping the age‐specific pattern of mortality. The analysis of longitudinal data in aging studies now incorporates the notions of heterogeneity and frailty, as well as that of changes in the “repair capacity”; of organisms. Furthermore, attention is now being paid to evolutionary theory and to models of senescence. These models and directions for further research are discussed.     

Heritability estimates of life history traits in small white butterflyPieris rapae crucivora

Summary Heritabilities and genetic correlations of life history characters (pupal weight, age-specific fecundities, and egg weight) of small white butterflyPieris rapae crucivora are estimated by a quantitative genetic method (sib analysis). The results indicate moderate or high heritabilities and a largely negative genetic correaltion in age-specific fecundities.