Genetic steady-state under BLUP selection for an infinite and homogeneous population with discrete generations

Abstract

A matrix derivation is proposed to analytically calculate the asymptotic genetic variance-covariance matrix under BLUP selection according to the initial genetic parameters in a large population with discrete generations. The asymptotic genetic evolution of a homogeneous population with discrete generations is calculated for a selection operating on an index including all information (pedigree and records) from a non-inbred and unselected base population (BLUP selection) or on an index restricted to records of a few ancestral generations. Under the first hypothesis, the prediction error variance of the selection index is independent of selection and is calculated from the genetic parameters of the base population. Under the second hypothesis, the prediction error variance depends on selection. Furthermore, records of several generations of ancestors of the candidates for selection must be used to maintain a constant prediction error variance over time. The number of ancestral generations needed depends on the population structure and on the occurrence of fixed effects. Without fixed effects to estimate, accounting for two generations of ancestors is sufficient to estimate the asymptotic prediction error variance. The amassing of information from an unselected base population proves to be important in order not to overestimate the asymptotic genetic gains and not to underestimate the asymptotic genetic variances.