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Home / Equine Research Bank / R Soc Open Sci / Evidence of maternal and paternal age effects on speed in th...
Royal Society open science2022; 9(10); 220691; doi: 10.1098/rsos.220691

Evidence of maternal and paternal age effects on speed in thoroughbred racehorses.

Abstract: Effects of parental age on offspring viability have been reported in a wide range of species. However, to what extent parental age influences offspring traits beyond viability remains unclear. Moreover, previous research has primarily focused on maternal age effects. The purpose of this study was to test for paternal and maternal age effects on offspring speed in thoroughbred racehorses. We analysed over 900 000 race performances by over 100 000 horses on British racecourses between 1996 and 2019. With knowledge of the age of all 41 107 dams and 2 887 sires at offspring conception, we jointly modelled maternal and paternal age effects using a 'within-individual centring' approach. Within-parents, we identified a significant effect of maternal age on offspring speed of -0.017 yards s yr and a corresponding paternal age effect of -0.011 yards s yr. Although maternal age effects were stronger (more negative), the existence and magnitude of paternal effects is particularly noteworthy, given thoroughbred sires have no involvement in parental care. Our results also suggest that the selective disappearance of both sires and dams is ongoing. These findings could potentially be used to optimize thoroughbred racehorse breeding decisions, and more generally, add to the increasing body of evidence that both maternal and paternal age affect a range of offspring characteristics.
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Publication Date: 2022-10-05 PubMed ID: 36249332PubMed Central: PMC9532991DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220691Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article analyzes the impact of maternal and paternal age on the speed of offspring in thoroughbred racehorses. Findings reveal that both maternal and paternal age significantly affects the horse offspring’s racing speed, with the effect of maternal age being slightly stronger.

Objective and Purpose

  • The research aims to investigate both the maternal and paternal age effects on the speed of their offspring in thoroughbred racehorses.
  • Most of the previous research has primarily focused on the maternal age effects while paternal age effects remained relatively unexplored. This study attempts to bridge this gap.

Methodology

  • The researchers analyzed over 900,000 race performances by over 100,000 horses that raced at British racecourses between 1996 and 2019.
  • They knew the ages of all 41,107 dams (mothers) and 2,887 sires (fathers) at the time of their offspring’s conception.
  • They used a ‘within-individual centring’ approach to jointly model the effects of both maternal and paternal age.

Findings

  • Within each set of parents, a significant impact of maternal and paternal age on the offspring’s speed was identified. The effect of maternal age was found to be -0.017 yards per second per year and the effect of paternal age to be -0.011 yards per second per year.
  • While the effect of maternal age was slightly stronger (more negative), the existence and magnitude of paternal age effects was particularly significant. This is noteworthy since thoroughbred sires have no involvement in parental care.
  • The research also indicates that selective disappearance (presumably via retirement or death) of both sires and dams is ongoing.

Implications

  • The findings shed light on the effects of parents’ age on offspring traits beyond viability, which could guide optimized breeding decisions for thoroughbred racehorses.
  • More broadly, this study contributes to the growing evidence that both maternal and paternal age impact a range of offspring characteristics, not just in thoroughbred horses, but potentially in other species as well.

Cite This Article

APA
Sharman P, Young AJ, Wilson AJ. (2022). Evidence of maternal and paternal age effects on speed in thoroughbred racehorses. R Soc Open Sci, 9(10), 220691. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.220691

Publication

Royal Society open science
ISSN: 2054-5703
NlmUniqueID: 101647528
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 9
Issue: 10
Pages: 220691
PII: 220691

Researcher Affiliations

Sharman, Patrick
  • Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK.
Young, Andrew J
  • Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK.
Wilson, Alastair J
  • Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK.

Conflict of Interest Statement

We declare we have no competing interests.

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