S
Glossary
Scrotal
circumference
A
measure of testes size obtained by measuring the distance around the testicles
in the scrotum with a circular tape. Related to semen producing capacity and age
at puberty of female sibs and progeny.
Selection
Choosing
some individuals as parents of the next generation of offspring.
Selection
differential
The
difference between the average for a trait in selected cattle and the average
for that same trait of the group from which they came. The expected response to
selection for a trait is equal to selection differential times the heritability
of the trait.
Selection
intensity
The
selection differential measured in phenotypic standard deviation units of the
selected trait. It is inversely proportional to the proportion of available
replacements actually selected to be parents of the next generation.
Sensory
taste panel
A
trained sensory taste panel is skilled in scoring specific attributes of eating
quality, independently of other sensory dimensions.
Sex
limited traits
Traits,
such as milk production, that are expressed in only one sex.
Shrunk
weight
Weight
after fasting for a defined length of time.
SNP
markers
These
are a single nucleotide polymorphisms located throughout the genome.
SQL
converter programm
(Commonly
expanded to Structured Query Language) is the most popular computer language
used to create, modify and retrieve data from relational database management
systems.
Standard
deviation
Standard
deviation is a statistical measure of spread or variability.
Stayability
Refers
to the ability of a breeding animal to remain in the breeding herd.
Steer
Castrated
male.
Subjective
score
Classifies
animals, using a finite ordinal scale, into one of a number of possible
classes.