• Spring 2024
  • Location: Animal Science A128
  • 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 Spring 2024

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)

  • 01-22 (M): Introduction [HTML]
  • 01-24 (W): Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium [HTML]
  • 01-26 (F): Linkage Disequilibrium [HTML]

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

  • 01-29 (M): Migration, Mutation, and Selection [HTML]
    • HW1 assignment in Canvas on Monday (Due Friday morning)
  • 01-31 (W): Effectiveness of Selection [HTML]
  • 02-02 (F): Genetic Drift [HTML]
    • HW1 Due today at 9AM!

Week 3: Small Populations — Simplified Conditions (Ch3 & Ch4)

  • 02-05 (M): Inbreeding [HTML]
  • 02-07 (W): Effective Population Size [HTML]
  • 02-09 (F): Heterozygosity [HTML]

Week 4: Population Structure and Neutrality test (Notes in Canvas)

  • 02-12 (M): Diversity [HTML]
  • 02-14 (W): F-statistics [HTML]
  • 02-16 (F): Exam I

Week 5: Neutrality Test (Notes in Canvas)

  • 02-19 (M): Neutral theory [HTML]
    • HW2 assigned in Canvas!
  • 02-21 (W): Detecting natural selection [HTML]
  • 02-23 (F): Journal article review [HTML]
    • HW2 Due today!
    • Journal article assigned for peer review (due in two weeks)

Week 6: Pedigreed Population and Close Inbreeding (Ch5)

  • 02-26 (M): Pedigreed population [HTML]
  • 02-28 (W): Coancestry [HTML]
  • 03-01 (F): Relationship matrix [HTML]
    • Watch recorded video in Canvas

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

  • 03-04 (M): Statistical foundations of quantitative genetics [HTML]
  • 03-06 (W): Continuous Variation [HTML]
  • 03-08 (F): Journal Review Discussion [HTML]
    • Peer review due

Week 8: No class

  • Enjoy Spring Break!

Week 9: Population values and means (Ch7)

  • 03/18 (M): Average effect of an allele [HTML]
  • 03/20 (W): Breeding value, dominance, and interaction [HTML]
  • 03/22 (F): Exam II (take home)

Week 10: Genetic components of variance (Ch8)

  • 03/25 (M): Breeding value interpretation [HTML].
    • Exam II (Due today)
  • 03/27 (W): Variance partitioning [HTML]
  • 03/29 (F): Heritability and Repeatability [HTML]
    • HW3 assigned in Canvas!

Week 11: Heritability and resemblance between relatives (Ch9)

  • 04/01 (M): Resemblance between relatives [HTML]
  • 04/03 (W): Genetic and environmental covariance [HTML]
    • No in-person class, watch recorded video in Canvas
  • 04/05 (F): Estimation of heritability [HTML]
    • HW3 Due today!

Week 12: Heritability estimation (Ch10 & Ch11)

  • 04/08 (M): Precision of estimation [HTML]
  • 04/10 (W): Examples for h2 estimation [HTML]
  • 04/12 (F): The breeder’s equation [HTML]
    • HW4 assigned in Canvas!

Week 13: Predicting response to selection and interpretation (Ch11 & Ch12)

  • 04/15 (M): Variability in response [HTML]
  • 04/17 (W): Asymmetry of responses [HTML]
  • 04/19 (F): Long-term results [HTML]
    • HW4 due today and Exam III (take-home)

Week 14: Heterosis and correlated traits (Ch14 & Ch19)

  • 04/22 (M): Inbreeding depression and heterosis [HTML]
  • 04/24 (W): Correlated responses to selection [HTML]
  • 04/26 (F): Correlated traits: Index selection [HTML]
    • HW5 assigned in Canvas!

Week 15: Quantitative trait loci (QTL) and GWAS (Ch21)

  • 04/29 (M): QTL: Single-marker analysis [HTML]
    • No in-person class, watch recorded video in Canvas
  • 05/01 (W): QTL: Interval Mapping [HTML]
  • 05/03 (F): QTL and GWAS [HTML]
    • HW5 due today

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

  • 05/06 (M): GWAS [HTML]
  • 05/08 (W): GWAS wrap up and Q&A
  • 05/10 (F): Final exam (take-home)