Biomaterial Database

Genetic analyses of live-animal ultrasound and abattoir carcass traits in Australian Angus and Hereford cattle. 2000

A Reverter, and D J Johnston, and H U Graser, and M L Wolcott, and W H Upton

Animal Genetics Unit, Co-operative Research Centre for the Cattle and Beef Industry, The University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia. areverte@metz.une.edu.au

In order to estimate genetic parameters, abattoir carcass data on 1,713 Angus and 1,007 Hereford steers and heifers were combined with yearling live-animal ultrasound measurements on 8,196 Angus and 3,405 Hereford individuals from seedstock herds. Abattoir measures included carcass weight (CWT), percentage of retail beefyield (RBY), near-infrared measured intramuscular fat percentage (CIMF), preslaughter scanned eye muscle area (CEMA), and subcutaneous fat depth at the 12th rib (CRIB) and at the P8 site (CP8). Ultrasound scans on yearling animals included 12th-rib fat depth (SRIB), rump fat depth at the P8 site (SP8), eye muscle area (SEMA), and percentage of intramuscular fat (SIMF). Records on CWT were adjusted to 650-d slaughter age, and the remaining abattoir traits were adjusted to 300-kg CWT. Scan data were analyzed treating records on males and females as different traits. Multivariate analyses were performed on a variety of trait combinations using animal model and REML algorithm. Heritability (h2) estimates for CWT, RBY, CIMF, CP8, CRIB, and CEMA were .31, .68, .43, .44, .28, and .26, respectively, for Angus and .54, .36, .36, .08, .27, .38, respectively, for Hereford. Pooled across sexes, h2 estimates for SIMF, SP8, SRIB, and SEMA were .33, .55, .51, and .42, respectively, for Angus and .20, .31, .18, and .38, respectively, for Hereford. Genetic correlations (r(g)) between the same pair of carcass traits measured at yearling through scanning and directly at the abattoir were moderate to strongly positive, suggesting that selection using yearling ultrasound measurements of seedstock cattle should result in predictable genetic improvement for abattoir carcass characteristics. Estimates of r(g) between the scanned fat measurements and RBY were negative, ranging from -.85 for Angus heifers to -.05 for Hereford heifers. Also, the estimates of r(g) between SEMA and the fat records measured at the abattoir were negative and ranged from -.94 in Hereford heifers to -.02 in Angus heifers.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008460	Meat	The edible portions of any animal used for food including cattle, swine, goats/sheep, poultry, fish, shellfish, and game.	Meats
D009132	Muscles	Contractile tissue that produces movement in animals.	Muscle Tissue,Muscle,Muscle Tissues,Tissue, Muscle,Tissues, Muscle
D001823	Body Composition	The relative amounts of various components in the body, such as percentage of body fat.	Body Compositions,Composition, Body,Compositions, Body
D002417	Cattle	Domesticated bovine animals of the genus Bos, usually kept on a farm or ranch and used for the production of meat or dairy products or for heavy labor.	Beef Cow,Bos grunniens,Bos indicus,Bos indicus Cattle,Bos taurus,Cow,Cow, Domestic,Dairy Cow,Holstein Cow,Indicine Cattle,Taurine Cattle,Taurus Cattle,Yak,Zebu,Beef Cows,Bos indicus Cattles,Cattle, Bos indicus,Cattle, Indicine,Cattle, Taurine,Cattle, Taurus,Cattles, Bos indicus,Cattles, Indicine,Cattles, Taurine,Cattles, Taurus,Cow, Beef,Cow, Dairy,Cow, Holstein,Cows,Dairy Cows,Domestic Cow,Domestic Cows,Indicine Cattles,Taurine Cattles,Taurus Cattles,Yaks,Zebus
D005260	Female		Females
D000273	Adipose Tissue	Specialized connective tissue composed of fat cells (ADIPOCYTES). It is the site of stored FATS, usually in the form of TRIGLYCERIDES. In mammals, there are two types of adipose tissue, the WHITE FAT and the BROWN FAT. Their relative distributions vary in different species with most adipose tissue being white.	Fatty Tissue,Body Fat,Fat Pad,Fat Pads,Pad, Fat,Pads, Fat,Tissue, Adipose,Tissue, Fatty
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D014463	Ultrasonography	The visualization of deep structures of the body by recording the reflections or echoes of ultrasonic pulses directed into the tissues. Use of ultrasound for imaging or diagnostic purposes employs frequencies ranging from 1.6 to 10 megahertz.	Echography,Echotomography,Echotomography, Computer,Sonography, Medical,Tomography, Ultrasonic,Ultrasonic Diagnosis,Ultrasonic Imaging,Ultrasonographic Imaging,Computer Echotomography,Diagnosis, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasound,Ultrasonic Tomography,Ultrasound Imaging,Diagnoses, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasounds,Imaging, Ultrasonic,Imaging, Ultrasonographic,Imaging, Ultrasound,Imagings, Ultrasonographic,Imagings, Ultrasound,Medical Sonography,Ultrasonic Diagnoses,Ultrasonographic Imagings,Ultrasound, Diagnostic,Ultrasounds, Diagnostic
D014644	Genetic Variation	Genotypic differences observed among individuals in a population.	Genetic Diversity,Variation, Genetic,Diversity, Genetic,Diversities, Genetic,Genetic Diversities,Genetic Variations,Variations, Genetic