Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 24, 2025

Navigating MARRVEL, a Web-Based Tool that Integrates Human Genomics and Model Organism Genetics Information
Published on: August 15, 2019
On Negative Heritability and Negative Estimates of Heritability
David Steinsaltz1, Andy Dahl2, Kenneth W Wachter3
1Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, OX1 3TG, United Kingdom steinsal@stats.ox.ac.uk andywdahl@gmail.com.
Abstract:
We consider the problem of interpreting negative maximum likelihood estimates of heritability that sometimes arise from popular statistical models of additive genetic variation. These may result from random noise acting on estimates of genuinely positive heritability, but we argue that they may also arise from misspecification of the standard additive mechanism that is supposed to justify the statistical procedure. Researchers should be open to the possibility that negative heritability estimates could reflect a real physical feature of the biological process from which the data were sampled.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Heritability
Punnett Squares
Chi-square Analysis
The chi-square test was developed by Pearson in 1990.
The first step of performing a Chi-square analysis is to establish a null hypothesis, which assumes that there is no real...
Pedigree Analysis
Behavioral Genetics and Its Designs
The primary methodologies used in behavior genetics include family studies, twin studies, and adoption studies, each providing unique...
Frequency-dependent Selection

