Genome-wide association reveals QTL for growth, bone and in vivo carcass traits as assessed by computed tomography in Scottish Blackface lambs.

Background: Improving meat quality including taste and tenderness is critical to the protection and development of markets for sheep meat. Phenotypic selection for such measures of meat quality is constrained by the fact that these parameters can only be measured post-slaughter. Carcass composition has an impact on meat quality and can be measured on live animals using advanced imaging technologies such as X-ray computed tomography (CT).