These models have the potential to add to our understanding of the effects of genetic and nongenetic effects on evolutionary potential. Our tutorial outlines an easy way to account for these effects in both wild and experimental populations. These variances were estimable for both direct and parental nongenetic variances. In a simulation of various phenotypic traits, accounting for environmental, epigenetic, or cultural resemblance between individuals reduced estimates of additive genetic variance, changing the interpretation of evolutionary potential. The methods use matrices describing individual similarity in nongenetic effects, analogous to the additive genetic relatedness matrix. Here, we provide the first practical guide for researchers interested in distinguishing between genetic and nongenetic causes of phenotypic variation in the animal model. These models can be applied to a much broader range of contexts and data types than used previously, with the potential to greatly expand our understanding of nongenetic effects on evolutionary potential. Recent developments to the “animal model” of quantitative genetics can now allow us to calculate precise individual-based measures of non-genetic phenotypic variance. Long-term population surveys and experiments have shown that quantitative genetic estimates are influenced by nongenetic effects, including shared environmental effects, epigenetic effects, and social interactions. Non-genetic influences on phenotypic traits can affect our interpretation of genetic variance and the evolutionary potential of populations to respond to selection, with consequences for our ability to predict the outcomes of selection.
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