Question

1. A farmer was interested in determining if genetic variation plays a role in the weight of cattle. The farmer measured the average weight of 12 different parents and their offspring at five years of age. The data is presented below. What is the mean and variance for the weight of the parents and of their offspring? What is the correlation between the parents’ weight and the weight of their offspring? What does this number mean? For each 1 kg increase in a parents’ weight, how much does the weight of their offspring change? What is the narrow sense heritability for weight? What does this number mean? What do you tell the farmer? Please show your work for all questions and make sure that you answer all questions. Please minimize rounding. (12 points)

Average

Parents’           Offspring’s

Weight (kg)     Weight (kg)

570                  568

572                  560

575                  585

584                  605

590                  583

599                  623

599                  624

602                  580

603                  624

616                  603

625                  580

631                  586

Answer 1

Please refer to the attachments