The Evolutionary Causes of Quantitative Genetic Variation

Explore the evolutionary causes of quantitative genetic variation in this comprehensive lecture from the Santa Fe Institute. Delve into the complexities of phenotypic variation in human populations, focusing on morphological, life history, and biomedical traits. Examine how technological advances, particularly genome-wide association studies (GWAS), have revolutionized our understanding of genetic architecture. Investigate the roles of mutation, natural selection, and genetic drift in shaping genetic architecture. Learn about a model for genetic architecture arising under stabilizing selection in multi-dimensional trait space, and discover its implications for missing heritability. Analyze predictions about the distribution of variances contributed by loci identified in GWAS, tested against data for height and body mass index (BMI). Gain insights into pleiotropy, mutational target size, and the impact of demographic history on genetic associations. Follow along as Guy Sella from Columbia University presents this in-depth exploration of quantitative genetics, covering topics such as Fisher's model, heritability, stabilization selection, and the polygenic to omnigenic spectrum.