Wed 1:10-2:00pm, Fri 1:10-5:00pm

Room G17 and G41, Rudman Bioscience

Instructor: Tom Kocher (tdk@hopper.unh.edu)

Office hours: by appointment, room 216 Rudman

Teaching assistant: Pat Danley (pddanley@cisunix.unh.edu)

Office hours: by appointment

Text: Introduction to Quantitative Genetics by Falconer & Mackay, 4th edition (Longman Press)

Prerequisites: Introductory Genetics required, Introductory Statistics and Population Genetics strongly recommended.

Sep 1 - Orientation; Quantitative genetics - an historical perspective" (F&M pp. i-xv, 100-107)

3 - Genetics review (F&M pp.1-22; Problems 1.1, 1.10, 6.1, 6.3)

LAB: Population and Quantitative Genetics - Populus

8- Statistics review I

10- Statistics review II - ANOVA (F&M pp. )

LAB: Statistics on a spreadsheet

15- Genotypic means (F&M pp. 108-121)

17- Genetic and environmental variance (F&M pp. 122-144)

LAB: Analysis of variance

22- Stats Review III & Resemblance of relatives I (F&M pp. 145-159)

24- Resemblance of relatives II - Sib Analysis (F&M pp. 160-183)

LAB: Parent-offspring regression

29- The concept of heritability (F&M pp. 160-166)

Independent project proposals due!

Oct 1- Sib analysis & Analysis of twins (F&M pp. 166-183)

LAB: Appointments to discuss project proposals

6- Selection: Response and Prediction (F&M pp. 184-207)

8- Selection: Experimental Results (F&M pp. 208-218)

LAB: Analysis of twin data

13 - Theory of Limits (F&M pp. 218-227)

15 --

20 - Criteria for selection (F&M pp. 228-239)

Hand out take-home mid-term. (Covers Sept. 3 --> Oct. 15)

22 - Selection indices (F&M pp. 240-246)

LAB: Diallels

27 - Inbreeding depression and heterosis (F&M pp. 247-262)

Mid-term exam due!

LAB: NC State designs

Nov 3- Design of breeding programs (F&M pp. 281-289)

5- Linkage mapping (F&M pp. )

Preliminary project reports due!

LAB: Mapmaker

10 - Mapping functions, interference, ( pp. )

and variation in recombination rates

12 - LOD scores ( pp. )

LAB: Finalizing the tilapia map

17 - QTL analysis (F&M pp. 356-378)

19 - QTL mapping (F&M pp. )

LAB: Mapmaker QTL

24- Genetic correlations and GxE interaction (F&M pp.299-321)

Friday schedule, but NO LAB!

26 - Thanksgiving break - no class

Dec 1- Quantitative genetics and evolution I (F&M pp. 321-335)

3- Quantitative genetics and evolution II (F&M pp. 335-355)

LAB: QTL Cartographer

8- Project presentations I

10- Project presentations II

Last day of classes - NO LAB

17- Final Exam (1-3 PM)

Grading policy -

Class participation (10%) - Ask questions as we go!

Problem sets and

lab exercises (30%) - Point schedule will vary with difficulty of the exercise

Individual project (20%) - A project of your choosing.

Written report and presentation to class.

Midterm (20%) - Midsemester reality check (take-home exam).

Final (20%) - An opportunity to synthesize the semester