Prepotency is a concept that alpaca breeders love to talk about. I have noticed that alpaca herdsires are generally less prepotent than their owners claim. There are certainly fewer prepotent males in the pasture than there are ads for prepotent males in Alpacas Magazine.
I recently came upon an old, old essay about prepotency that I found interesting because it examined the concept in a number of different ways. Thomas Shaw, (1913) talks about the prepotency of a breed and an individual. He looks at both major and minor influences on prepotency. He also examines the rules governing prepotency which he concedes are ambiguous.
I would caution you that the author’s comments about sex linked prepotency are most likely not accurate and his prose is a little thick.
Click here to read more.
RELATED LINKS: