J. Anim. Breed. Genet. 117 (2000), 360© 2000 Blackwell Wissenschafts-Verlag, BerlinISSN 0931–2668

Book reviews:Buchbesprechungen

MICHAEL LYNCH and BRUCE WALSH: Genetics and Analysis of Quantitative Traits.(980 pp.) Sinauer Associates, Inc. Publishers, Sunderland, Massachusetts. ISBN 0-87893-481-2.

The nearly 1000 pages of the book are organized in three sections: fundamentals of quantitative genetics;quantitative traits loci; and breeding value estimation, and an appendix where in five chapters ofstatistical methods are detailed.

In the three sections chapters on statistical methods are inserted which include distributions, covari-ances etc., matrix algebra, scales and variance components.

The development and history of quantitative genetics (QG) is briefly outlined, including the earlyarguments between biometricians and Mendelians which were resolved by the duo Fisher and Wright.That Wilhelm (1908) had solved the problem i.e. demonstrated that common genes will cause corre-lation, is missed. Properties or rather consequences of single locus inheritance, multi-locus traits,environmental variation, resemblance of relatives, line crosses and inbreeding are each treated in separatechapters.

The authors point out that QG led to the development of theoretical and applied statistics, analysisof variance, path coefficients etc. QG was soon accepted by breeders, at least in America – it took muchlonger in continental Europe – but evolutionary biologists recognized it some 50 years later!

In section II polygenes, major genes i.e. their detection and QTL mapping in inbred and outbredpopulations are discussed. QG will enter a new frontier and return to its roots, identifying loci. Theauthors emphasize the poor power of the various approaches to identify QTL and point to theenormous wealth of information accumulated from humans and mice which ought to be utilized moreenergetically by animal breeders.

The chapters of section III deal with parent–offspring regression, sib and twin analysis, cross-classified designs, genotype × environment interactions, maternal effects, thresholds, breeding valueestimation; some of them in considerable detail. Matters which are frequently argued about or ignoredare discussed such as negative h2 estimates, rG beyond 1 (+ or −), variance components in random orfixed models for G × E interactions. Estimation of parameters from within family differences isillustrated. What would have deserved mention is that Czekanowski already in 1922 (albeit in Frenchand Polish but in 1932 also in German) had shown how to utilize relatives’ performance as an aid toestimate breeding values. Resampling procedures to estimate the reliability of predictions are discussedand the similarity of genetic and phenotypic correlations is emphasized but the sometimes opposingeffects of genes and environment are not related. Epistasis and its utilization in breed improvementwould possibly deserve more attention.

Methods and problems are illustrated with real life examples which may help readers who are nottoo familiar with the particular field. However in the QTL chapters only simulated examples are used –here also real live results and their discovery would be welcome.

This voluminous book will be appreciated by animal geneticists who will benefit from, among otherthings, the many examples from non-economic species and it will provide acquaintance with subjectswith which they are not directly working. For this, the extensive literature list is very helpful.

F. PIRCHNER, Innsbruck