Principal Components Analysis Utility in the Livestock Field

Abstract

Principal Component Analysis is a method factor - factor analysis - and is used to reduce data complexity by replacingmassive data sets by smaller sets. It is also used to highlight the way in which the variables are correlated with eachother and to determining the (less)latent variableswhich are behind the (more)measured variables. These latent variables are called factors, hence the name of the methodi.e. factor analysis. Our paper shows the applicability of Principal Components Analysis (PCA) in livestock area of study by carrying out a researchon some physiological characteristics in the case of tencow breeds.By using PCA only two factors have been preserved, concentrating over 80% of their information from the four variables in question, one factor concentrating weight and height and the other factor concentrating trunk circumference and weight at calving, respectively.