Which statement best describes heritability and repeatability?

Which statement best describes heritability and repeatability?

• A. They are environmental indices
• B. They are individual-level estimates
• C. They are the same measure
• D. They are population parameters

Answer: (D)

Heritability and repeatability describe how trait variation is distributed across a population, not for a single individual. They are population parameters, reflecting variance components estimated from data for the entire population under a given environment. Heritability is the proportion of phenotypic variance due to genetic variance, while repeatability is the proportion of phenotypic variance explained by genetics plus permanent environmental effects (the correlation between repeated records). Because these quantities depend on the population and its environment, they are not environmental indices or individual-level estimates, and they are not the same measure.

Heritability and repeatability describe how trait variation is distributed across a population, not for a single individual. They are population parameters, reflecting variance components estimated from data for the entire population under a given environment. Heritability is the proportion of phenotypic variance due to genetic variance, while repeatability is the proportion of phenotypic variance explained by genetics plus permanent environmental effects (the correlation between repeated records). Because these quantities depend on the population and its environment, they are not environmental indices or individual-level estimates, and they are not the same measure.