A bluebonnet (type of wild flower) population along a roadside is genetically va

Question

A bluebonnet (type of wild flower) population along a roadside is genetically variable. A botanist counts the seeds produced by 100 plants and calculates a variance of 23. Selecting one of these plants, the botanist cultivates a genetically identical population of bluebonnets in a greenhouse. The botanist transplants these genetically identical bluebonnets back to the roadside where the original plants were found. The next year, when the seeds are counted for these genetically identical plants, the variance is 8. What is the broad-sense heritably of seed number for the roadside population of bluebonnets? Enter the answer with two decimal places (0.xx). Show your work in the next question box.

Explanation / Answer

Heritability is the extent of variance in a particular trait in the given population, caused by genetic variations and environmental effects. It is calculated as broad sense and narrow sense heritability.

Broad-sense heritability is the genetic fraction that is causing the variance. It is calculated as ratio of genetic variance and phenotypic variance.

In first case, the traits are under the influence of both genetic and environmental factors. So, the variance is

ve + vg = 23

In the second case, since the plants were self crossed, so they are genetically identical. Here, variation is due to environmental cause only. so,

ve = 8.

so, vg = (23- ve)= (23-8) = 15.

Now, broad-sense variability is, H2

vg / vp = vg / (ve+vg) = 15/ 23 = 0.65

so, broad sense heritability for the seed number is 0.65

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