Data from: Genetic architecture of survival and fitness-related traits in two populations of Atlantic salmon

The additive genetic effects of traits can be used to predict evolutionary
trajectories, such as responses to selection. Non-additive genetic and
maternal environmental effects can also change evolutionary trajectories
and influence phenotypes, but these later effects have received less
attention by researchers. We partitioned the phenotypic variance of
survival and fitness-related traits into additive genetic, non- additive
genetic, and maternal environmental effects using a full-factorial
breeding design within two allopatric populations of Atlantic salmon
(Salmo salar). Maternal environmental effects were large at early life
stages, but decreased during development, with non-additive genetic
effects being most significant at later juvenile stages (alevin and fry).
Non- additive genetic effects were also, on average, larger than additive
genetic effects. The populations, generally, did not differ in the trait
values or inferred genetic architecture of the traits. Any differences
between the populations for trait values could be explained by maternal
environmental effects. We discuss if the similarities in architectures of
these populations is the result of natural selection across a common
juvenile environment.