BioConcepts

heritabilityErblichkeit (ger.)

• The proportion of observed variation in a particular trait (as height) that can be attributed to inherited genetic factors in contrast to environmental ones. (Merriam Webster 2012)
  category heredity

  1772

  Die Erblichkeit des Weichtelzopfs rühret […] blos von einer abstammenden Gewohnheit zur Unreinlichkeit, von einem angebohrnen Fehler in dem Bau der Haut, des Kopfes, oder von einer besondern Neigung gewisser Familien zu einem Mangel der Ausdünstung in diesem Theile her

  Anonymus (Übers.) (1772). Landeutte, Wahrnehmung von einem Weichtelzopf (Plica polonica). Neue Sammlung auserlesener Wahrnehmungen aus allen Theilen der Arzneywissenschaft, aus dem Französischen übersetzt 6, 142-147: 147.

  1777

  Die Erblichkeit ist die Haupteigenschaft eines Beschelers [d.h. eines Zuchthengstes]

  Prizelius, J.G. (1777). Vollständige Pferdewissenschaft: 133.

  1788

  Erblichkeit

  White, T. (1788). Über Skropheln und Kröpfe nebst der Widerlegung ihrer Erblichkeit (engl. Orig. 1787: Treatise on Struma or Scrofula: »hereditary disease«); vgl. Piorry, P.A. (1840). Über die Erblichkeit der Krankheiten (franz. Orig.).

  1853

  heritability of properties

  W.D.B. (1853). Genealogy physiologically considered. In: Nichols, J.G. (ed.). The Topographer and Genealogist, vol. 2, 1-27: 4 [written 1845].

  1860

  the heritability both of acquired habits and aptitudes, and of certain modified structures

  Gray, A. (1860). [Discussion statement]. Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 4: 426; id. (1861). Natural Selection not Inconsistent with Natural Theology. A Free Examination of Darwin’s Treatise on the Origin of Species, and of its American Reviewers: 52; cf. Anonymus (1869). Statistics of insanity. Medical and Surgical Reporter 20, 90-91: 91; Gray, A. (1882). Charles Darwin. Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17, 449-458: 449.

  1860

  heritability of variations of structure or instinct

  Bowen, F. (1860). [Discussion statement]. Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 4: 411.

  1935

  The variance in each case is analysed into contributions due to (1) additive gene effects, (2) dominance deviations, (3) epistatic deviations, (4) environmental effects and (5) nonadditive joint effects of heredity and environment

  Wright, S. (1935). The analysis of variance and the correlations between relatives with respect to deviation from an optimum. J. Genetics 30, 243-256: 256.

  1945

  heritability [as] the portion of the observed variance for which differences in heredity are responsible

  Lush, J.L. (1945). Animal Breeding Plans, 2nd edition: 92.

  1982

  heritability1: The capacity of being inherited. 2: That part of the phenotypic variability that is genetically based, usually expressed as the ratio of genetic variance to phenotypic variance.

  Lincoln, R.J., Boxshall, G.A. & Clark, P.F. (1982). A Dictionary of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics: 111.

  1996

  The relative importance of heredity in determining phenotypic values is called the heritability of the character. There are, however, two distinctly different meanings of ‘heredity’ and heritability, according to whether they refer to genotypic values or to breeding values. A character can be ‘hereditary’ in the sense of being determined by the genotype or in the sense of being transmitted from parents to offspring, and the extent to which it is hereditary in the two senses may not be the same. The ratio VG/VP [Genotypic Variance/Phenotypic Varianc] expresses the extent to which individuals’ phenotypes are determined by the genotypes. This is called heritability in the broad sense or the degree of genetic determination. The ratio VA/VP [Additive Variance or Breeding Value/Phenotypic Variance] expresses the extent to which phenotypes are determined by the genes transmitted from the parents. This is called the heritability in the narrow sense, or simply the heritability.

  Falconer, D.S. & Mackay, T.F.C. (1960/96). Introduction to Quantitative Genetics: 123.