A new study provides promising evidence that non-coding DNA, which makes up the majority of the genome, can explain the heritability of dairy traits in dairy cattle. Researchers from the University of Illinois leveraged the data from the Global Dairy Gene Map to look at the relationship between non-coding DNA and the heritability of traits related to dairy production. The results of their study, published in Genome Biology, indicate that non-coding DNA can explain a substantial portion of the heritability for milk production, fat, and protein.

This groundbreaking study provides insight into the role that non-coding DNA may play in the heritability of dairy traits. The results suggest that there may be genetic variants within the non-coding regions of dairy cattle genomes that are linked to certain traits and can be used to improve the breeding and selection of dairy cattle. This research could lead to more efficient breeding programs and higher-quality dairy products.

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source: Phys.org