Relatedness coefficients in pedigrees with inbred founders

J Math Biol. 2020 Jul;81(1):185-207. doi: 10.1007/s00285-020-01505-x. Epub 2020 Jun 8.

Abstract

We study an extension of the standard framework for pedigree analysis, in which we allow pedigree founders to be inbred. This solves a number of practical challenges in calculating coefficients of relatedness, including condensed identity coefficients. As a consequence we expand considerably the class of pedigrees for which such coefficients may be efficiently computed. An application of this is the modelling of background inbreeding as a continuous effect. We also use inbred founders to shed new light on constructibility of relatedness coefficients, i.e., the problem of finding a genealogy yielding a given set of coefficients. In particular, we show that any theoretically admissible coefficients for a pair of noninbred individuals can be produced by a finite pedigree with inbred founders. Coupled with our computational methods, implemented in the R package ribd, this allows for the first time computer analysis of general constructibility solutions, thus making them accessible for practical use.

Keywords: IBD triangle; Identity coefficients; Inbreeding; Kinship; Pedigree construction; Relatedness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Inbreeding*
  • Models, Genetic*
  • Pedigree*
  • Software