Abstract
Quantitative genetic analysis is often fundamental for understanding evolutionary processes in wild populations. Avian populations provide a model system due to the relative ease of inferring relatedness among individuals through observation. However, extra‐pair paternity (EPP) creates erroneous links within the social pedigree. Previous work has suggested this causes minor underestimation of heritability if paternal misassignment is random and hence not influenced by the trait being studied. Nevertheless, much literature suggests numerous traits are associated with EPP and the accuracy of heritability estimates for such traits remains unexplored. We show analytically how nonrandom pedigree errors can influence heritability estimates. Then, combining empirical data from a large great tit (Parus major) pedigree with simulations, we assess how heritability estimates derived from social pedigrees change depending on the mode of the relationship between EPP and the focal trait. We show that the magnitude of the underestimation is typically small (<15%). Hence, our analyses suggest that quantitative genetic inference from pedigrees derived from observations of social relationships is relatively robust; our approach also provides a widely applicable method for assessing the consequences of nonrandom EPP.
Highlights
SIMULATED PEDIGREES As we incorporated multiple parameters influencing the patterns of extra-pair paternity (EPP) observed in the genetic pedigree into our permutations of the social pedigree, our genetic pedigrees simulated with no association between the male trait and EPP did not differ from the observed genetic pedigree in measurements of pedigree structure that could be influenced by such techniques (Fig. 1)
By combining an analytical approach with simulations using empirical data, we investigated how a nonrandom association between a trait and paternity misassignment may influence heritability estimates over a range of potential scenarios
We confirm that EPP generally causes social pedigrees to slightly underestimate heritability (Keller et al 2001; Charmantier and Reale 2005)
Summary
Evolution published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Society for the Study of Evolution Previous work has suggested this causes minor underestimation of heritability if paternal misassignment is random and not influenced by the trait being studied. Combining empirical data from a large great tit (Parus major) pedigree with simulations, we assess how heritability estimates derived from social pedigrees change depending on the mode of the relationship between EPP and the focal trait. Our analyses suggest that quantitative genetic inference from pedigrees derived from observations of social relationships is relatively robust; our approach provides a widely applicable method for assessing the consequences of nonrandom EPP. No substantial differences between social and genetic pedigree heritabilities were found, a trend of reduced heritabilities from social versus genetic pedigrees suggested that the error induced by EPP had the potential to decrease heritability estimates. Charmantier and Reale (2005) advanced this work by employing simulation techniques that bypassed potential underlying confounding effects
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
