2021/11/23 by Matthew Hartfield, Nina Aagaard Poulsen, Bernt Guldbrandtsen +1 · 1 voice
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals #Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock #Wheat and Barley Genetics and Pathology
paper · pdf · doi:10.1002/evl3.263
openalex publication_date 2021/11/23 · openalex created_date 2021/12/06 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Abstract Many quantitative traits are subject to polygenic selection, where several genomic regions undergo small, simultaneous changes in allele frequency that collectively alter a phenotype. The widespread availability of genome data, along with novel statistical techniques, has made it easier to detect these changes. We apply one such method, the “Singleton Density Score” (SDS), to the Holstein breed of Bos taurus to detect recent selection (arising up to around 740 years ago). We identify several genes as candidates for targets of recent selection, including some relating to cell regulation, catabolic processes, neural-cell adhesion and immunity. We do not find strong evidence that three traits that are important to humans—milk protein content, milk fat content, and stature—have been subject to directional selection. Simulations demonstrate that because B. taurus recently experienced a population bottleneck, singletons are depleted so the power of SDS methods is reduced. These results inform on which genes underlie recent genetic change in B. taurus, while providing information on how polygenic selection can be best investigated in future studies.