The influence of nonrandom extra-pair paternity on heritability estimates derived from wild pedigrees

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 amongst 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 non-random 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 t...

数量遗传学分析（quantitative genetic analysis）通常是解析野生种群演化进程的核心研究基础。鸟类种群（avian populations）凭借可通过观测相对便捷地推断个体间亲缘关系，成为了演化遗传学研究的理想模型系统。然而，婚外父权（extra-pair paternity, EPP）会在社会谱系中构建错误的关联。过往研究指出，若父本错配为随机发生且不受研究性状的影响，此类错误仅会造成遗传力（heritability）的小幅低估。但大量现有文献表明，诸多性状与EPP存在关联，而这类性状的遗传力估计准确性仍未得到充分探究。本研究通过解析分析，阐明了非随机谱系错误对遗传力估计的影响机制。随后，本研究结合大山雀（great tit, Parus major）大型谱系的实证数据与模拟实验，评估了基于社会谱系得到的遗传力估计值，如何随EPP与目标性状之间的关联模式差异而发生变化。本研究表明……