DairyTalk 297: Breeding as Applied Probability: How Mendelian Laws Still Guide Modern Genomics - by Helmut Demmelhuber

DairyTalk by Helmut Demmelhuber · Feb 19, 2026 · 13m

This episode draws on a technical article explaining how Mendelian inheritance continues to shape modern Holstein breeding, using coat color as a practical example. It outlines how the principles of dominance and recessiveness determine whether calves are born black or red, with red expression occurring only when two recessive alleles are inherited. The analysis demonstrates that color outcomes can be predicted with statistical accuracy rather than left to chance. Even in the age of advanced genomic tools, these classical genetic rules remain the structural basis for understanding trait…