Brooks S A, Makvandi-Nejad S, Chu E, Allen J J, Streeter C, Gu E, McCleery B, Murphy B A, Bellone R, Sutter N B
Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
Anim Genet. 2010 Dec;41 Suppl 2:159-65. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2052.2010.02127.x.
Horses, like many domesticated species, have been selected for broad variation in skeletal size. This variation is not only an interesting model of rapid evolutionary change during domestication, but is also directly applicable to the horse industry. Breeders select for complex traits like body size and skeletal conformation to improve marketability, function, soundness and performance in the show ring. Using a well-defined set of 35 measurements, we have identified and quantified skeletal variation in the horse species. We collected measurements from 1215 horses representing 65 breeds of diverse conformation such as the American Miniature, Shetland Pony, Arabian Horse, Thoroughbred, Shire and Clydesdale. Principal components analysis has identified two key dimensions of skeletal variation in the horse. Principal component 1 is positively correlated with every measurement and quantifies overall body size. Principal component 2 captures a pattern of bone widths vs. lengths and thus quantifies variation in overall bone thickness. By defining these complex skeletal traits, we have created a framework for whole genome association studies to identify quantitative trait loci that contribute to this variation.
与许多家养物种一样，马在骨骼大小方面存在广泛的差异。这种差异不仅是驯化过程中快速进化变化的有趣模型，而且还直接适用于马产业。育种者选择体型和骨骼形态等复杂性状，以提高马匹在市场上的吸引力、功能、健康状况以及在比赛中的表现。我们使用一组明确的35项测量指标，识别并量化了马种的骨骼变异。我们从1215匹马中收集了测量数据，这些马代表了65个不同形态的品种，如美国迷你马、设得兰矮种马、阿拉伯马、纯种马、夏尔马和克莱兹代尔马。主成分分析确定了马骨骼变异的两个关键维度。主成分1与每项测量指标呈正相关，量化了整体体型。主成分2捕捉了骨宽度与长度的模式，从而量化了整体骨厚度的变异。通过定义这些复杂的骨骼性状，我们创建了一个全基因组关联研究的框架，以识别导致这种变异的数量性状位点。
