What Traits Are Affected in Linebreeding?

All domestic animals we know today are a result of linebreeding. Through thousands of years of linebreeding, definable breeds were created. This is true for cows, horses, dogs and even fish. Linebreeding opens up the genetic health of a breed, clarifying both the dominant and recessive traits of a familial line for a breeder. Then the breeder can play with which traits are passed on.

  1. Linebreeding versus Inbreeding versus Incest

    • Linebreeding, inbreeding and incest are all similar terms that describe how an animal is mated. Inbreeding usually means when an animal is paired with an immediate family member. Father-daughter, mother-son and sibling pairings would be called inbreeding. In humans, this is called incest and considered a taboo almost everywhere in the world. In nature and animal husbandry, however, inbreeding is actually a pretty normal occurrence. Linebreeding usually describes a pairing where there is more family distance between the individuals, like an uncle-niece or cousin pairing.

    Genetics of Linebreeding

    • Even before anyone knew about genes, breeders were experimenting with genetics. Linebreeding creates breeds by limiting the gene pool. When two completely unrelated animals mate, the offspring will show traits reflecting both parents' genetic family trees. In linebreeding, a family line is bred among itself to heighten certain traits. Recessive traits are traits that an individual doesn't show but can show in its offspring. These also become apparent through generations of linebreeding.

    Traits Affected

    • All the traits of an individual are affected by linebreeding. An animal's appearance or temperament can be passed on through breeding it with its descendants. The attribute has to be genetic, however, not a result of an individual's treatment or a freak accident (the puppies of a dog that lost its leg will still have all of theirs). In any breeding group, linebreeding will heighten the amount of debilitating genetic conditions, like blindness or infertility, that are usually rare in heterozygous (nonrelated) breeding.

    Linebreeding in Application

    • Farmers have very specific uses for linebreeding. Individuals with desirable traits can be chosen for breeding so that those traits can continue. Animals with undesirable traits, including genetic defects like hemophilia, can be culled from the breeding stock. Through generations of linebreeding, "good" traits are exponentially favored and "bad" traits are eventually deleted. If the resulting descendents are different enough from the original ancestors' breed, a new breed has been created.