• Fall 2022
  • Location: Animal Science A228
  • Time: 9:00-9:50am (MWF)
  • Prerequisites: STAT-801A or equivalent, or permission of the instructor(s).

Texts and Reading Materials

Required textbook

  • Falconer & Mackay, Introduction to Quantitative Genetics

Free Online Materials


Schedule Fall 2022

The HTML slides will likely be posted on Sunday pm for the next week. The slides are subject to change before the class.

Week 1: Allele and Genotype Frequencies (Ch1)

  • 08-22 (M): Introduction [HTML]
  • 08-24 (W): Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium [HTML]
  • 08-26 (F): Linkage Disequilibrium [HTML]

Week 2: Changes of Allele Frequency (Ch2 & Ch3)

  • 08-29 (M): Migration, Mutation, and Selection [HTML]
    • HW1 assigned in Canvas (Due Friday morning)
  • 08-31 (W): Effectiveness of Selection [HTML]
  • 09-02 (F): Genetic Drift [HTML]
    • HW1 Due today!

Week 3: Small Populations — simplified conditions (Ch3 & Ch4)

  • 09-05 (M): No Class
  • 09-07 (W): Inbreeding [HTML]
  • 09-09 (F): Effective Population Size [HTML]

Week 4: Small Populations — less simplified conditions (Ch4)

  • 09-12 (M): Exam I
  • 09-14 (W): Heterozygosity [HTML]
  • 09-16 (F): Diversity [HTML]

Week 5: Population Structure and Neutrality test (Notes in Canvas)

  • 09-19 (M): F-statistics [HTML]
    • HW2 assigned in Canvas!
  • 09-21 (W): Neutral theory [HTML]
  • 09-23 (F): Dececting natural selection [HTML]

Week 6: Pedigreed Population and Close Inbreeding (Ch5)

  • 09-26 (M): Pedigreed Population [HTML]
    • HW2 Due today!
  • 09-28 (W): Coancestry [HTML]
  • 09-30 (F): Relationship matrix [HTML]
    • Journal article assigned for peer review

Week 7: Statistical Foundations for Continuous Variation (Ch6 and Notes in Canvas)

  • 10-03 (M): Statistical Foundations [HTML]
  • 10-05 (W): Continuous Variation [HTML]
  • 10-07 (F): Journal Review Discussion [HTML]
    • Peer review due

Week 8: Population values and means (Ch7)

  • 10/10 (M): Average effect of an allele [HTML]
  • 10/12 (W): Breeding value, dominance, and interaction [HTML]
    • HW3 assigned in Canvas (Due Next Wednesday morning)
  • 10/14 (F): Breeding value interpretation [HTML]

Week 9: Genetic components of variance (Ch8)

  • 10/17 (M): No Class [Enjoy your Fall Break!]
  • 10/19 (W): Variance partitioning [HTML]
    • HW3 Due today!
  • 10/21 (F): Exam II

Week 10: Heritability and Resemblance between relatives (Ch8 & Ch9)

  • 10/24 (M): Heritability and Repeatability [HTML]
  • 10/26 (W): Genetic covariance [HTML]
  • 10/28 (F): Genetic and environmental covariance [HTML]

Week 11: Heritability estimation (Ch10)

  • 10/31 (M): Estimation of heritability [HTML]
    • Notes in Canvas
    • HW4 assigned
  • 11/02 (W): Precision of estimates [HTML]
  • 11/04 (F): Examples for h2 estimation [HTML]

Week 12: Predicting response to selection (Ch11 & Ch12)

  • 11/07 (M): The breeder’s equation [HTML]
    • HW4 due today
  • 11/09 (W): Variability in response [HTML]
  • 11/11 (F): Asymmetry of responses [HTML]
    • No meeting, watching recorded class video

Week 13: Selection: Empirical results and interpretation (Ch12 & Ch14)

  • 11/14 (M): Long-term results [HTML]
  • 11/16 (W): Exam III
  • 11/18 (F): Inbreeding depression and heterosis [HTML]

Week 14: Correlated traits (Ch19)

  • 11/21 (M): Correlated responses to selection [HTML]
  • 11/23 (W): No Class (Student Holiday)
  • 11/25 (F): No Class and Happy Thanksgiving!

Week 15: Correlated traits and Quantitative trait loci (Ch19 & Ch21)

  • 11/28 (M): Correlated traits: Index selection [HTML]
    • HW5 assigned
  • 11/30 (W): QTL: Single-marker analysis [HTML]
  • 12/02 (F): QTL: Interval Mapping [HTML]

Week 16: Genome-wide association study (Reading Materials in Canvas)

  • 12/05 (M): GWAS [HTML]
    • HW5 due today
  • 12/07 (W): GWAS wrap up and Q&A
  • 12/09 (F): 9:00-10:00am
    • Final exam