Quantitative genetics of relative organ weight variation in captive baboons.

摘要: Anthropoid phylogeny has been characterized by dramatic increases in relative brain size. Given the importance of genetic mechanisms evolution, quantitative analyses biological concomitants size variation should greatly augment our understanding this phylogenetic phenomenon. In humans is often linked metabolically with three other organs--heart, kidneys, and liver--that together account for most total basal metabolic rate. Because weights these four organs are proportional to their individual organ rates, summed have used previous researchers as a proxy measure composite We conducted analysis population captive baboons from Southwest Foundation Biomedical Research. These were performed on loge-transformed available 601 animals, 307 which assigned 25 pedigrees containing 2 49 members; remaining 294 animals treated independent individuals. Moderate but statistically significant (p < 0.005) heritabilities estimated all weights: h2brain = 0.409 +/- 0.147, h2heart 0.386 0.184, h2kidneys 0.468 0.152, h2liver 0.600 0.160. Significant 0.05) additive correlations between liver (rho G 0.568) kidney 0.858). environmental identified heart E 0.551) 0.684). Our results clearly demonstrate that substantial heritable components that, because similar magnitudes, probably equally susceptible selection. However, patterns intercorrelation revealed correlation matrices indicate composing rate, only kidneys likely exhibit correlated responses selection increased such observed anthropoid fossil record.