Assume that an aquaculture company wants to breed salmon that are heavier. The c
ID: 55650 • Letter: A
Question
Assume that an aquaculture company wants to breed salmon that are heavier. The current weight of a salmon in their population averages 5 kg. The company uses only the largest individuals for breeding, and these breeders have an average weight of 6 kg. Assume that salmon weight has a heritability of 0.7.
What will the mean weight of the population be after one generation of selection?
What will it be after two generations of selection if the selection differential in the second generation has the same value as the selection differential in the first and the heritability remains constant?
Explanation / Answer
After 1 generation of selection, the mean weight will be 5.7 kg. After 2 generations of selection (with the same heritability and selection differential), the mean weight will be 6.4 kg