Genetic distances based on quantitative traits.

Morphological data showing continuous distributions, polygenically controlled, may be particularly useful in intergroup classification below the species level; an appropriate distance analysis based on these traits is an important tool in evolutionary biology and in plant and animal breeding.--The interpretation of morphological distances in genetic terms is not easy because simple phenotypic data may lead to biased estimates of genetic distances. Convenient estimates can be obtained whenever it is possible to breed populations according to a suitable crossing design and to derive information from genetic parameters.--A general method for determining genetic distances is proposed. The procedure of multivariate analysis of variance is extended to estimate appropriate genetic parameters (genetic effects). Not only are optimal statistical estimates of parameters obtained but also the procedure allows the measurement of genetic distances between populations as linear functions of the estimated parameters, providing an appropriate distance matrix that can be defined in terms of these parameters. The use of the T2 statistic, defined in terms of the vector of contrasts specifying the distance, permits the testing of the significance of any distance between any pair of populations that may be of interest from a genetic point of view.--A numerical example from maize diallel data is reported in order to illustrate the procedure. In particular, heterosis effects are used as the basis for estimates of genetic divergence between populations.