C. R. Henderson: the unfinished legacy

Area of Science:

• Animal breeding and genetics
• Statistical genetics
• Quantitative genetics

Background:

• Charles R. Henderson's work is foundational in animal breeding and statistics.
• His methods for Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) are widely used.
• Other significant contributions remain underexplored.

Discussion:

• This paper examines Henderson's less-recognized work, including analysis of line and breed cross data.
• It also covers hypothesis testing under mixed linear models and prediction of breeding values with unknown variances.
• Henderson's insights into selection models and the flexibility of his mixed model methods are discussed.

Key Insights:

• Henderson's methods provide a flexible framework for quantifying diverse biological effects.
• His work on mixed linear models is crucial for accurate genetic merit prediction and variance component estimation.
• Underutilized contributions offer solutions to persistent problems in animal breeding and statistical genetics.

Outlook:

• The application of Henderson's methods is particularly relevant with advancements in genetics and biology.
• Further exploration of his work can resolve remaining challenges in statistical genetics.
• Integrating these methods can enhance the prediction of breeding values and understanding of genetic merit.