Ratios were assessed between variability components of quantitative traits simulated from the genome incorporating non-additive genetic effects in random mating populations and short-term phenotypic selection. A trait of low (h² = 0.10) heritability and another of high (h² = 0.60) heritability were studied, both influenced by 600 bi-allelic loci. Five gene action models were simulated, of which four included complete and positive dominance for 25, 50, 75 and 100% of the loci (D25, D50, D75 and D100, respectively); and one model included positive overdominance for 50% of the loci. Every model included additive effects of the alleles for 100% of the loci. The main quantified ratios were d² (dominance variance/phenotypic variance) and d²a (dominance variance/additive variance). For both traits, d² and d²a increased according to the increase in the variance of dominance with the growing inclusion of loci with dominance deviation and under overdominance. For the same model, both ratios, especially d², are greater under high heritability, that indicates that the dominance effects explain the greater part of the total variability of this trait under selection.
non-additive genetic effect; phenotypic selection; phenotypic variation; simulation
