Genetic associations between flight speed and growth traits in Nellore cattle

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

ARE CORPORAL ALLOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS GOOD PREDICTORS of PALATABILITY IN NEOTROPICAL BUTTERFLIES (LEPIDOPTERA)?

Since palatable butterflies are more dependent on evasive flight to escape from predators, they should be more restricted in their flight-related morphology than unpalatable ones. We compared: the ratios between the (1) length of head plus thorax and the length of abdomen (A/B), (2) length of the tip of the head to wing base and the length of the wing base to end of the abdomen (C/D), (3) the variances of A/B and C/D, (4) the proportion between the thoracic and the body weight, and (5) the flight speed between palatable and unpalatable butterflies. A/B and thoracic/body weight were higher for palatable species, indicating higher body symmetry and muscular mass. However, flight speed did not differ. Unexpectedly, the variance of A/B was higher for palatable species while that of C/D did not differ. Therefore, corporal allometric measurements of Neotropical butterflies are good predictors of palatability, though not of flight speed.

Genetic variability for temperament indicators of Nellore cattle

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Validity and feasibility of qualitative behavior assessment for the evaluation of Nellore cattle temperament

The aims of this study were to assess the validity and the feasibility of the qualitative behavior assessment (QBA) method as indicator of Nellore cattle temperament under field conditions, evaluating its associations with four other traditional methods and weight gain. The temperament and live weight of 2229 Nellore cattle was assessed at approximately 550 days of age. Five measurements of cattle temperament were recorded: flight speed test (FS, in m/s), visual scores of movement in the crush (MOV), crush score (CS), temperament score (TS), and the qualitative behavior assessment method (QBA), by using a list of 12 behavioral based adjectives as descriptors of temperament. Average daily weight gain (ADG) was calculated for each animal. For statistical analysis of QBA data, the Principal Component Analysis was used. A temperament index (TI) was defined for each animal using the scores for the first principal component. Pearson's correlation coefficients were estimated between TI with FS and ADG. A mixed model ANOVA was used to analyze the TI variation as a function of TS, CS, and MOV. The score plot for the first and second principal components was used to classify the cattle in four groups (from very bad to very good temperament). The first principal component explained 49.50% of the variation in the data set, with higher positive loadings for the adjectives 'agitated' and 'active', and higher negative loadings for 'calm' and 'relaxed'. TI was significantly correlated with FS (r=0.49; P<0.01) and ADG (r=-0.10; P<0.01). The means of ADG, FS, and the temperament scores (CS, TS, MOV) differed significantly (P<0.01) among the four groups, from very bad to very good temperament. The QBA method could discriminate different behavioral profiles of Nellore cattle and were in agreement with other traditional methods used as indicators of cattle temperament. Additional studies are needed to assess the inter- and intra-observers reliability and to study its association with physiological parameters. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

Adaptação de bovinos ao confinamento: avaliação do temperamento e dos comportamentos social e alimentar

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estudo de fatores genéticos e de ambiente para reatividade na raça Nelore

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Associação genética entre características indicadoras de temperamento e de precocidade sexual em fêmeas da raça Nelore

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Estimativas de parâmetros genéticos para características de temperamento e de escores visuais em bovinos da raça Nelore

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Métodos para avaliação do temperamento de bovinos: estimação de parâmetros genéticos e relações com o desempenho

Pós-graduação em Genética e Melhoramento Animal - FCAV

Qualidade de manejo e temperamento de bovinos: efeitos na eficiência reprodutiva de fêmeas submetidas a um protocolo de inseminação artificial em tempo fixo

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Efeito de diferentes frequências de manejos no temperamento de bovinos de corte

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Evolução do temperamento de bovinos de corte mantidos a pasto e frequentemente manejados

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Comportamento individual de bovinos Nelore e relações com desempenho em regime de confinamento e reprodução

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Impact of the temperament of Nellore cows on the quality of handling and pregnancy rates in fixed-time artificial insemination

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Genetic associations between temperament and performance traits in Nellore beef cattle

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)