MINIREVIEW Quantitative Genetics in th

Mike Lynch and I recently attempted to summarize the current state of quantitative genetics (Lynch and Walsh, 1998; reviewed for this journal by Baston, 2000). Already, parts of our treatment are somewhat dated due to the explosive growth and refinement of methods for mapping loci underlying complex traits (QTLs, for quantitative trait loci). While such growth is bad news for textbook writers trying to stay current, it is also the hallmark of a scientifically healthy and active field. As the age of genomics ushers in, continued dramatic changes in the field of quantitative genetics are expected. The faster cheaper trend for sequencing and genotyping that fuels genomics has a parallel trend in computing, and this will also have a significant impact on the field. Finally, a variety of other emerging biotechnologies in such areas as reproductive biology (whole organism cloning, embryo transplantation) and recombinant DNA (transgenic organisms) will also have important consequences. Given the availability of these new biological and computational tools, what will quantitative genetics become? In particular, if we wrote a second edition in (say) 2020, how much will the field have changed? Ultimately, any attempt to predict the long-term directions of a field results in a paper that future workers will find both somewhat doi:10.1006 tpbi.2001.1512, available online at http: www.idealibra