2) Single locus model of merit. The concept of breeding value.
a) How Hardy Weinberg equilibrium lets us predict genotype frequencies from gene frequencies.
b) Assumptions in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium.
c) The difference between Genetic value and Breeding value.
d) The additivity of Breeding value.
e) The prediction of population mean from gene frequencies and Genetic values.

3) Variation in components of merit; predicting breeding value; heritability.
a) The relationship between Breeding value of parents and expected value of offspring.
b) P = G + E = A + D + E
c) The covariance between Breeding value and Phenotype is the variance of Breeding value.
d) The regression of Breeding value on phenotype is heritability, and this is VA/VP.
e) Considering effects as deviations from means.

4) Single-trait selection, predicting response, Generation interval, .
a) The regression of offspring on mean of parents is heritability.
b) Treating sexes separately when considering intensity of selection.
c) The factors which affect response (R) to selection, and the significance of each of these. You should be able to recall R=h2S and  R=ih2?P.
d) The definition of generation interval.
e) The separate treatment of sexes when considering generation interval.
f) The effect of generation interval on annual response (Ryr) to selection.  You should be able to recall R=(im+if)/(Lm+Lf)h2?P.
g) The relationship between intensity of selection and generation interval.

5) G x E interaction, repeatability, correction factors
a) Environmental variation can be split into permanent and temporary components.
b) Repeatability defines an upper limit to heritability.
c) How the value of repeated measures depends on repeatability.
d) The effect of repeated measurement on response to selection.
e) Correction for identifiable environmental effects.  The effect of this on response to selection.

6) Phenotypic and genetic correlations, correlated responses, use of information from other traits
a) Correlations: rA, rE and rP.
b) That rA and rE can and do differ for sensible reasons.
c) The factors that affect correlated responses to selection.
d) That indirect selection can be better than direct selection.

7) Genetic relationships and Resemblance.
a) The difference between: rA between traits, and rA between relatives.
b) A method of calculating rA and rD between relatives.
c) Covariance within families is equivalent to variance between families.
d) The significance of each factor that contributes to variance of observed half sib and full sib family means.

8) The estimation of repeatability, heritability and genetic correlation.
a) The analysis of variance approach to estimating repeatability  and heritability.
b) Basic assumptions when estimating heritability in this way.
c) Use of regression to estimate heritability.
d) The effect of "true" heritability on choice of method - AoV or regression - when considering accuracy.  (A comprehensive understanding of this is not necessary).
e) Bias in estimates from full sib analysis.

9) Use of information from relatives
a) The meaning of individual, family, within family, and family index selection.
b) The conditions which favour each of the first three of these.
c) The superiority of family index selection over each of the first three.
d) Use of information from relatives - progeny.
e) Factors that affect the heritability of the progeny test.
f) Use of this parameter and the mean of a progeny group to predict breeding value of the parent in question.
g) Factors which affect the efficiency of (response under) progeny testing.

10)   Multi-trait selection, economic weights, objectives and criteria, index construction.
a) Response and correlated response
b) The use of  information from a correlated trait
c) The concept of a selection index as an overall selection criterion.
d) A technique exists to calculate best index weights.
e) Selection for multiple traits: multiple trait objective
f) Objectives and criteria can involve different traits. Criteria can include information from relatives.

11)   Introduction to BLUP.
a) BLUP is a state-of-the-art method for predicting breeding values.
b) It can handle unbalanced structure, environmental effects, non-random mating and selection bias.
c) It can make full use of information from relatives.
d) It can separate environmental and genetic trends over time.
e) It is sensitive to any errors in input parameters (such as h2) and the simple genetic model of inheritance.

12)   Inbreeding. Pedigree analysis and small population sizes.
a) The definition of inbreeding and inbreeding coefficient.
b) The calculation of F from pedigrees.
c) Consequences of inbreeding
d) F can be calculated from knowledge of breeding population size.
e) The concept of Ne.

13)   Results from selection programs, reliability of predictions, causes of deviations.
a) Random drift affects realised selection response.
b) Systematic factors that cause deviations from predicted responses.
c) Possible reasons for a limit to selection response.

14)   Selection between populations, crossing populations, genetic basis of heterosis.
a) Selection between populations can be very fruitful.
b) Heterosis is an observable phenonemon, not a mechanism.
c) Two mechanisms that can affect heterosis are dominance and epistasis. You should understand the biological significance of these in simple terms.
d) The dominance theory of heterosis, based on breed-of-origin heterozygosity.
e) Calculating expected expression of heterosis from breed-of- origin heterozygosity.
 
 

15) Crossing systems, industry applications.
a) Predicting the genetic merit of different crossing systems given suitable parameters.
b) Estimating these parameters from known merit of different crossing systems.
c) The main factors which affect choice of crossing system.

16) Breeding systems: open and closed nucleus systems, elite parents.
a) The structures and properties of open and closed nucleus systems.
b) The concept of 4 pathways of genetic improvement and how this relates to dairy breeding structures.
c) The role of A.I. in the structure of dairy breeding.

17) Breeding objectives and the state of the art in each animal industry.
a) Typical breeding objectives in the meat, milk, wool and egg industries.
b) Breeding programs should be subject to cost-benefit scrutiny.
c) A simple method of discounting future returns from a breeding program.
d) A basic knowledge of the breeding structures, objectives and criteria and use of quantitative genetics in the wool, meat sheep, beef, dairy, pig and poultry industries.

18) Gene mapping.
a) Molecular genetic markers (eg. RFLP's and Microsatelites) are now widely available.
b) These have led to the recent development of linkage maps for most domestic species.
c) These linkage maps are making the detection of Quantitative Trait Loci quite realistic for traits of commercial importance.
d) The use of QTL’s in Marker Assisted Selection