This
timely text presents a comprehensive guide to genetic association, a new and
rapidly expanding field that aims to elucidate how our genetic code (genotypes)
influences the traits we possess (phenotypes). The book provides a detailed
review of methods of gene mapping used in association with experimental
crosses, as well as genome-wide association studies. Emphasis is placed on
model selection procedures for analyzing data from large-scale genome scans
based on specifically designed modifications of the Bayesian information
criterion. Features: presents a thorough introduction to the theoretical
background to studies of genetic association (both genetic and statistical); reviews
the latest advances in the field; illustrates the properties of methods for
mapping quantitative trait loci using computer simulations and the analysis of
real data; discusses open challenges; includes an extensive statistical
appendix as a reference for those who are not totally familiar with the
fundamentals of statistics.