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Updated: Aug 8, 2026

An Allele-specific Gene Expression Assay to Test the Functional Basis of Genetic Associations
Published on: November 3, 2010
What is genetic quality?
John Hunt1, Luc F Bussière, Michael D Jennions
1School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. john.hunt@unsw.edu.au
Abstract:
Mate choice is favored by indirect selection if choosy females mate with males of high genetic quality. We believe, however, that testing hypotheses about indirect selection has been constrained by how we conceptualize and therefore empirically measure male genetic quality. Here, we argue that genetic quality is the breeding value of an individual for total fitness. We can therefore learn little about genetic quality from measures of only a few fitness components. We explain breeding value for total fitness, drawing on concepts from life-history theory and quantitative genetics, and suggest how approaches incorporating these insights might result in empirical progress.
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