Differences in EPDs between two individuals of the same breed predict differences in performance of their future offspring when each is mated to animals of the same average genetic merit. These differences predict differences in offspring performance when each animal is mated to mates with what characteristic?

Differences in EPDs between two individuals of the same breed predict differences in performance of their future offspring when each is mated to animals of the same average genetic merit. These differences predict differences in offspring performance when each animal is mated to mates with what characteristic?

• A. The same average genetic merit
• B. Extremely high genetic merit
• C. Very low genetic merit
• D. The same average genetic merit

Answer: (D)

EPDs estimate the additive genetic merit that is passed from parents to offspring. When two animals from the same breed have different EPDs, their offspring will, on average, reflect those differences. If each animal is mated to partners that have the same average genetic merit, the dam's contribution is held constant, so the contrast you see in the offspring’s performance mainly comes from the sire’s EPD. That means the offspring from the higher-E PD sire are expected to outperform those from the lower-E PD sire for that trait, on average. If the mates differed in genetic merit, the dam’s contribution would influence the outcome and could either amplify or dampen the sire’s difference, making it harder to attribute the difference to the paternal EPD alone. So the key characteristic is that the mates share the same average genetic merit.

EPDs estimate the additive genetic merit that is passed from parents to offspring. When two animals from the same breed have different EPDs, their offspring will, on average, reflect those differences. If each animal is mated to partners that have the same average genetic merit, the dam's contribution is held constant, so the contrast you see in the offspring’s performance mainly comes from the sire’s EPD. That means the offspring from the higher-E PD sire are expected to outperform those from the lower-E PD sire for that trait, on average.

If the mates differed in genetic merit, the dam’s contribution would influence the outcome and could either amplify or dampen the sire’s difference, making it harder to attribute the difference to the paternal EPD alone. So the key characteristic is that the mates share the same average genetic merit.