Inferring Continuous and Discrete Population Genetic Structure Across Space.

ABSTRACT: A classic problem in population genetics is the characterization of discrete population structure in the presence of continuous patterns of genetic differentiation. Especially when sampling is discontinuous, the use of clustering or assignment methods may incorrectly ascribe differentiation due to continuous processes (e.g., geographic isolation by distance) to discrete processes, such as geographic, ecological, or reproductive barriers between populations. This reflects a shortcoming of current methods for inferring and visualizing population structure when applied to genetic data deriving from geographically distributed populations. Here, we present a statistical framework for the simultaneous inference of continuous and discrete patterns of population structure. The method estima

SUBMITTER: Bradburd GS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6116973 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature