R.D. Shanks

Graphical approach to evaluate genetic estimates of calf survival.

Genetic variation and resemblance among relatives are fundamentals of quantitative genetics. Our purpose was to identify bulls with a bimodal pattern of inheritance in the quest for new discoveries about the inheritance of calf survival. A bimodal pattern of inheritance for calf survival was identified in sons of Holstein bulls. A bimodal pattern of inheritance indicates 2 groups of sons resulting from an allele effect, a grandsire effect, or some other common factor. Different combinations (AA, Aa, aa) of 2 alleles at a locus cause varying phenotypes to be expressed. Bulls that are heterozygous for loci affecting reproductive performance may have a bimodal pattern of inheritance if the difference in effect of the 2 alleles is large. If the bimodal pattern is caused by an allele effect, then molecular markers can be identified for use in marker-assisted selection breeding programs. Data on predicted transmitting ability for perinatal survival for the first parity of 8,678 sons of 599 sires were collected from 1984 through 1997 from the National Association of Animal Breeders calving ease database, which included 7 Midwestern states. Sixteen bulls were identified with a potential bimodal pattern of inheritance because they had 2 distinct groups of sons. The 2 groups of sons were separated by calculating the coefficient of variation for each possible combination of sons; the combination that gave the smallest coefficient of variation difference between the 2 groups was considered the correct distribution of the sons into those groups. Bulls with a bimodal distribution were analyzed to determine the distribution of the grandsons among the maternal grandsires (MGS) of the 2 groups of the bimodal distribution. The bimodal distribution may be a result of heterozygous sires or MGS that are homozygous for low or high survival. If the bimodal distribution is caused by a MGS effect, then marker-assisted selection can still be used by evaluating the MGS instead of the sires.

Algebraic Equivalence of Matrix Inversion, Elimination, and Absorption for Use in Animal Breeding

Abstract The equivalence of several methods of solving linear simultaneous equations is demonstrated for use in teaching applied animal breeding. Matrix notation represents equations concisely and allows ease of algebraic treatment.

Journal of Dairy Science® 2012 Editorial Report

This has been a tumultuous year of records. The June 2012 issue of Journal of Dairy Science® (JDS) set a record for the most pages (699) and most manuscripts (68) in a single monthly issue. The July issue increased the record to 703 pages of research. The September 2012 issue holds the current monthly records of 726 pages and 75 manuscripts. On an annual basis for 2012, records were exceeded with a total of 7,466 pages for 740 published manuscripts. In total, 1,227 submissions were received during 2012. These records could not have been accomplished without tremendous support from authors like you—thank you. In addition, appreciation is extended for the great support from many people in the Federation of Animal Science Societies (FASS) office, as well as a terrific group of senior and section editors. In the FASS office, I have had the opportunity to work closely with Susan Pollock and Louise Adam, and I appreciate their efficiency and professionalism in addition to their technical expertise. Many others in the FASS office also help to make JDS better, including additional technical editors, production team members, administrative assistants, the IT department, and accounting. They ably handle the workload and quality controls to achieve an outstanding journal each month. The excellent appearance and timely publication of each issue of JDS is thanks to the responsiveness and dedication of the FASS staff. The high quality of science in JDS is directly related to the daily decisions made by the senior editors and section editors. For 2012–2013, the senior editor in Dairy Foods (DF) is Rafael Jimenez-Flores and the section editors are MaryAnne Drake and Stephanie Clark. In Physiology and Management (PM), the senior editor was Matthew Lucy and the section editors were Geoff Dahl, Rupert Bruckmaier, Kerst Stelwagen, and Helga Sauerwein. Geoff Dahl is the new senior editor in PM starting in 2013, and I welcome David Beede (Michigan State) as the new section editor in PM. In Nutrition, Feeding and Calves (NFC), the senior editor was Keith Cummins and the section editors were Sergio Calsamiglia, John McNamara, and John Vicini. John McNamara is the new senior editor in NFC for 2013, and John Roche (Dairy NZ) is the new section editor. In Genetics and Breeding, the senior editor is Georgios Banos and the section editors are Christa Kuhn and Jennie Pryce. Peter Hansen is retiring editor for invited reviews and Filippo Miglior is the new editor for invited reviews. Each of these editors has made valuable contributions to the success of JDS—thank you. At this time, I specifically want to recognize the tremendous contributions of our retiring editors, Peter Hansen, Keith Cummins, and Matt Lucy. Each has had a positive impact on JDS. Peter Hansen has served as section editor, senior editor, and editor of invited reviews over most of the past two decades. He has made contributions in improving and stabilizing the quality of JDS and has served as the journal’s “institutional memory.” Keith Cummins has completed his second term as section editor in NFC. Keith’s understanding of his nutritionist colleagues has been extremely beneficial in identifying reviewers and moving manuscripts through the review process. Keith also kept me straight with his “does it make sense?” approach to solving issues. Matt Lucy is completing his second term as section editor for PM. During Matt’s tenure as senior editor, he directed the evaluation of the most submissions of any section—over 100 submissions out for review was the norm. He handled the workflow efficiently and was encouraging to his fellow section editors in moving submissions through the review process. Matt was an enthusiastic participant in our annual Journal Management Committee meeting. Please thank each of these editors when you see them next. All of the editors are a critical component in the success of JDS.