title: Optimal structure of protocol designs for building genetic linkage maps in livestock.
abstract: We investigated protocol designs for gene mapping in livestock. The optimization of the population structure was based on the empirical variance of the recombination rate estimator. We concluded that a mixture of half-sib and full-sib families is preferred to half-sib families; a knowledge of parental phases does not improve the quality of the estimation for typical livestock families with five offspring or more; and measurements of the genotype of the mates in half-sib families are not useful. Graphs and algebraic approximations for the practical choice of family size and structure are given.
authors.affiliation: Centre de Recherches de Toulouse, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, BP 27, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Elsen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mangin
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goffinet
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chevalet