Quantitative genetics

Quantitative genetics, is the study of continuous traits (such as height or weight) that do not have straightforward Mendelian inheritance because they result from the interaction of many different genes.

Traits

• Continuous traits are quantitative traits have a continuous phenotypic range. They are usually polygenic, and may also have a significant environmental influence.
• Meristic traits are traits which are expressed in whole numbers, such as number of offspring, or number of bristles on a fruit fly.
• Discrete (threshold) traits are either expressed or not. Multiple genes may influence a discrete trait.