Resumen de Selección divergente por grasa intramuscular en conejo. Respuesta directa a la selección

C. Zomeño, P. Hernández, A. Blasco

• The aim of this study was to evaluate the selection response on intramuscular fat (IMF) content after three generations of divergent selection. Selection was based on the phenotypic value of IMF content measured in two full sibs of the first parity. A total of 668 records were used to estimate the selection response on IMF and a pedigree of 1332 records was used to calculate heritability and genetic trends. Differences between lines for IMF were 0.08, 0.10 and 0.09 g/100g in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation, respectively. These differences represent a response of 9% of the mean. Heritability estimate for IMF was moderately high (0.37) with 97% of probability of being greater than 0.20. Genetic trends showed a direct response to selection of 0.05 g/100g in the high line and -0.05 g/100g in the low line. Selection response for IMF was similar using a guaranteed value of heritability with 95% of probability. The animal model applied and the heritability estimated in this study were validated and results confirmed that this trait can be improved through selection in rabbits.