What does quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping link?

The concept of quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping fundamentally revolves around the relationship between complex traits and specific genetic regions. QTL mapping is a powerful tool in genetics that allows researchers to identify the locations on chromosomes (loci) where variations in genes contribute to phenotypic traits that are quantitatively measured. These traits, such as height, weight, or yield in crops, often result from the cumulative effects of multiple genes, making them complex.

By utilizing statistical methods and cross-breeding populations, researchers can correlate the observed variations in these traits with particular genomic regions. This linkage provides insights into how specific genes influence traits and how these traits may be inherited. Understanding QTLs is crucial for fields like agriculture and animal breeding, where optimizing such traits is essential for improving performance and productivity.

While environmental factors, genetic drift, and evolutionary relationships are significant concepts in genetics and biology, they do not directly pertain to the primary focus of QTL mapping, which is the identification of genetic regions associated with complex quantitative traits.