Estimating quantitative genetic parameters in wild populations: a comparison of pedigree and genomic approaches

A groundbreaking comparison of pedigree and genomic approaches reveals that genomic relatedness provides more precise estimates of quantitative genetic parameters, particularly in distinguishing maternal genetic effects from direct genetic effects. The study, conducted on the Soay sheep population at St Kilda, found that heritability estimates were consistent across methods but had lower standard errors when using SNP-derived relatedness or whole-genome data. Notably, maternal genetic effects became more pronounced with increased accuracy of relatedness information, suggesting these effects are often confounded with direct genetic effects in less precise pedigree analyses. The research also demonstrated that high-density marker panels may not be necessary for unbiased heritability estimates, as precision asymptotes at around half the available SNPs.

Bérénos, C., Ellis, P. A., Pilkington, J. G., & Pemberton, J. M. (2014). Estimating quantitative genetic parameters in wild populations: a comparison of pedigree and genomic approaches. Molecular Ecology, 23(14), 3434–3451. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.12827