Domestication and selection for production traits Flashcards
(49 cards)
What is domestication?
- the process by which a population of animals becomes adapted to man and to the captive environment by some combination of genetic changes occurring over generations and environmentally induced developmental events recurring during each generation
What does domestication not assume about genes and the environment?
- does not assume that the genes and the environment operate independently
What does the domestication principle assume about the captive environment?
- assumes that the captive environment is different from the wild ancestral environment
- and that these differences are consistent over generations = allowing evolutionary forces to change the gene pool
How can humans accelerate changes in phenotype (that might not occur in nature)?
- by artificial selection or gene transfer
What was Belyaev’s fox experiment selection objective?
- tame response to humans in a series if handling tests
What concept of selection did Belyaev use?
- concept of destabilizing/disruptive selection
What were the correlated responses to selection for tame foxes?
- earlier opening of eyes and response to sound
- later fear response
- delayed rise in cortisol production
- white coat marks (8 generation)
- floppy ears, shorter wider muzzle
- earlier sexual maturity, larger litter, some out of season breeding
What common changes have we seen in domestic species?
- reduced brain size
- increased reproduction/ out of season
- decreased fearfulness of humans
- increased social motivation
What would help reduce stress in domesticated species?
- selection for reduction in defensive behaviour
What has an adaption to a safe environment caused for domestic species?
- little opportunity for perceptual and locomotory stimulation
- frequent invasion of personal space with little opportunity to escape from dominant individuals
- frequent association with humans
What is the most important consequence of domestication?
- reduced emotional reactivity to fear-evoking stimuli or environmental change
Less reactive animals can be handled with greater ease and what does this tend to lead to?
- reduced levels of stress in captivity
- higher levels of growth and reproductive performance
Genetic selection with species could affect welfare (especially in enhanced productivity animals) through the development of what?
- development of physical problems
- health problems associated with enhanced production
- modification of behaviour/threshold to stress
What physical issues can be seen as a result of genetic selection in cattle and poultry?
- poultry = rapid growth and bone weakness
- cattle = hypertrophy
Cattle with higher genetic merit for production often have lowered disease resistance - what issues can this cause?
- mastitis
What welfare issues are arising from selection for productivity in broilers?
- lameness
- ascites
- sudden death
What welfare issues are arising from selection for productivity in hens?
- feather pecking
What welfare issues are arising from selection for productivity in dairy cattle?
- reduced fertility and longevity
- increased lameness, metabolic problems, mastitis
What welfare issues are arising from selection for productivity in pigs?
- tail biting
- sow appetite
- fat reserves and fertility
How is temperament defined?
- as consistent individual differences in behaviour, particularly in reaction to fear of humans
Temperament offers a comprehensive view of behaviour and emphasises what?
- emphasises the individuals reaction to environmental challenge and change
Why should temperament be taken into account for both farm and zoo environments?
- farm = ability to cope with husbandry systems
- zoo = ability to cope and reproduce in captivity
Ewes with a calm temperament as more likely to show what at lambing?
- better maternal behaviour
- less avoidance of humans at lambing time
- quicker to return to lambs
- more time grooming lambs after birth
- more time at the birth site
- vocalised more
- lower lamb mortality
What can genetic variation in performance be due to?
- to a mix of individual genetic effects and genetic effects of social integration