The quagga project aims to breed plains zebra that phenotypically resemble the extinct quagga (Equus quagga quagga), by selective breeding to aggregate desirable characteristics, particularly a reduced striping pattern. The purpose of this study was to produce a genetic selection index to improve stripe-pattern reduction, and hence to produce an efficient and objective selective breeding protocol, which will hopefully be of use in future selection experiments. From images of selectively bred zebras, striping ratios for three regions were calculated. Correlations of parent-offspring relationships resulted in narrow-sense heritabilities. Data from two regions (R1 and R3) were used to create an index to improve selection and reduce striping. The index I = 3.1875 (R1) 4.8134 (R3) and the response to selection using the index, R = 0.6047 i.
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1 October 2007
A genetic index for stripe-pattern reduction in the zebra: the quagga project
Rochelle Parsons,
Colleen Aldous-Mycock,
Michael R. Perrin
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South African Journal of Wildlife Research
Vol. 37 • No. 2
October 2007
Vol. 37 • No. 2
October 2007
Equus quagga
genetic index
Quagga
stripe pattern