The objectivesof this work was to evaluate possible changes in the morphological measurementsamong genetic groups (GG) Indubrazil, Nellore and Tabapuan and among the GGof their daughters F1 Holstein x Indubrazil (HxI), Holstein x Nellore(HxN) e Holstein x Tabapuan (HxT), besides the heritability estimates coefficients(h2) for these traits. Least square method was used to verify thedifferences on the morphological traits among GG and to obtain h2 estimatesfrom dam-daughter regression (RFM). The REML method was also used to obtainh2 estimates. Data were recorded on 183 zebu cows and 273 F1Holsteinx Zebu heifers. The GG of the F1 heifers was important for its registrationin the open book Girolando Association, because the GG obtained different scoresfor type, general appearance and dairy characteristics. For these three traits,the crossbred HxI heifers obtained higher scores than the HxN heifers; the HxTheifers obtained intermediate scores. There were no differences among the morphologicaltraits, the width between hips and pins, the rump length, body depth and witherheight and body weight for the three zebus GG and among their F1Holsteinx Zebu progenies. The heritability estimate changed from .09 (body depth) to.59 (ear length) by RFM and from .09 to .89 (the same traits) by REML method.The results indicated that, in a breeding system with a Holstein breed for theproduction of F1 heifers to sell, the GG Indubrasil produced bettercharacterized animals as the Girolando breed, which, possibly, will obtain highercommercial appeal than the GG Tapabuan and Nellore. Additionally, the heritabilityestimates indicated that the selection for morphological traits would lead todirect reasonable response.
