The book introduces the basic concepts and methods that are useful in the statistical analysis and modeling of DNA-based marker and phenotypic data that arise in agriculture, forrestry, experimental biology, and other fields. It concentrates on the linkage analysis of markers, map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping and assumes a background in regression analysis and maximum likelihood approaches. The strengths of this book lie in the construction of general models and algorithms for linkage analysis and QTL mapping in any kind of crossed pedigrees initiated with inbred lines of crops and plant and animal model systems or outbred lines in forest trees and wildlife species. The book includes a detailed description of each approach and the step-by-step demonstration of live-example analyses designed to explain the utilization and usefulness of statistical methods. The book also includes exercise sets and computer codes for all the analyses used. This book can serve as a textbook for graduates and senior undergraduates in genetics, agronomy, forest biology, plant breeding and animal sciences. It will also be useful to researchers and other professionals in the areas of statistics, biology and agriculture.

This book intends to provide geneticists with the tools needed to understand and model the genetic variation for quantitative traits based on genomic data collected in mapping research and equip statisticians with the uniquenesses and ideas in relation to the exploration of genetic secrets using their computational skills. The emphasis of this book will be on non-human genetics.

Basic Genetics.- Basic Statistics.- Linkage Analysis and Map Construction.- A General Model for Linkage Analysis in Controlled Crosses.- Linkage Analysis with Recombinant Inbred Lines.- Linkage Analysis for Distorted and Misclassified Markers.- Special Considerations in Linkage Analysis.- The Structure of QTL Mapping.- Marker Analysis of Phenotypes.- Regression-Based Interval Mapping.- Maximum Likelihood Interval Mapping.- Threshold and Precision Analysis.- Composite QTL Mapping.- QTL Mapping in Outbred Pedigrees.