Traditional selection uses the phenotypes of animals to improve certain traits, but genomic selection allows improved selection by allowing less heritable and hard to measure traits to be quantified. The rate of breeding selection improvement varies with the accuracy of breeding values, selection intensity, genetic variability, and generation interval. Genomic selection uses SNPs as genetic markers, and a reference population has its phenotypes and genotypes associated with each other through the use of SNPs. By using a reference population with known breeding values, then genomic breeding values can be estimated with animals with unknown values. Genomic breeding values give individual values to each littermate rather than assigning the same value to the entire litter, and improves the genetic progress by 20-50%. As well, genomic selection can be used with current breeding programs. As the cost of genetic sequencing decreases the possibilities of commercial use of genomic selection will only increase.