Pedigrees are central to the problems of estimation of heritability of traits, maintenance of genetic diversity and estimation of breeding values in selective breeding programs. Yet, pedigrees are often unknown or uncertain for wild animals, or for populations of interest in Aquaculture or Forestry.
Often, prior partial information exists on the pedigree in the form of admissible observed mating structure, communal spawning or mating designs. We simulate probabilistic pedigrees and parentage from genetic markers, demonstrate that mating priors substantially improve pedigree reconstruction and investigate consequences for the accuracy of genetic evaluation.