Exploring unknown parent groups and metafounders in single-step genomic BLUP: Insights from a simulated cattle population

This study explores how the metafounder (MF) concept enhances genetic evaluations in dairy cattle populations using single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP). By improving the consideration of relation- ships among founder populations, MF ensures accurate alignment of pedigree and genomic relationships. The research aims to propose a method for grouping MF based on genotypic information, assess different ap- proaches for estimating the gamma matrix, and compare unknown...