variation in Minolta a* (partial R2 = 0.04) and pHu (partial
R2 = 0.03) accounted for a small but significant (P < 0.05) amount
of variation in WBSF (Model R2 = 0.36, C (p) = 2.35), with endomysium
spacing (partial R2 = 0.02; P = 0.13) contributing little additional
knowledge of variation in WBSF. At a cooked temperature
of 71 C, breed was the only significant independent variable (partial
R2 = 0.50; P < 0001), while average fiber diameter (partial
R2 = 0.02; P = 0.10) and pHu (partial R2 = .01; P = 0.14) accounted
for a small amount of variation in WBSF. At a cooked temperature
of 79 C, breed (partial R2 = 0.48) and average fiber diameter (partial
R2 = 0.07) explained a significant (P < 0.05) amount of variation in
WBSF (model R2 = 0.55, C (p) = 12.08), while pHu (partial R2 = .02;
P = 0.08) explained a small amount of variation in WBSF. Effects
of pHu and average fiber diameter on WBSF, albeit small and at a
greater level of probability, suggest that these attributes are important
descriptors of WBSF variation independent of large breed
effects.