SOURCE OF SHARED VARIABILITY FOR EGYPTIAN CATTLE BODY SHAPE (CONFORMATION)

A factor analysis with a varimax rotation was applied to 13 body measurements on 1870 Egyptian cattle young bulls to disclose the main sources of shared variability and to deduce the factors that control body conformation. Body conformation appeared to be controlled by common and unique factors. The communalities ranged from 0.97 (height at withers) to 0.56 (shank circumference) and the uniqueness (special size factors) made the balance. Most of the common variability (78\%) in body dimensions could be accounted for by factors representing general size, body length and height and head width.