Statistical methods I MIXED MODELS IN ANIMAL BREEDING: WHERE TO NOW?

Over the past 60 years, mixed models have underpinned huge gains in plant and animal production through genetic improvement. Charles Henderson (1912-1989) established mixed models for estimating breeding values (BLUP) using the popularly called Henderson's Mixed Model and provided early methods (Henderson's Methods I, II and III) for estimating variance parameters. Robin Thompson then published the widely acclaimed REML method for variance component estimation in 1971. These two innovators, along with the development of computing power, have spawned national and international breeding programs in almost all animal species used for human food and fibre. Our ability to generate data is outstripping our ability to analyse data and this will lead to mixed models playing new roles in genetic estimation. The focus is changing from simply describing the relationship between variables through a correlation, to modelling the relationship based on knowledge of the Genome