Population Genetics with R: An Introduction for Life Scientists

Population genetics is an inherently quantitative discipline. Because the focus of population genetics studies is usually on abstract concepts like the frequencies of genetic variants over time, it can at first glance be difficult to conceptualize and appropriately visualize. As more and more quantitative models and methods have become established in the discipline, it has become necessary for people just entering the field to quickly develop a good understanding of the many layers of complex approaches, so as to correctly interpret even basic results. An unfortunate side effect of the widespread implementation of ready-to-use quantitative software packages is that some facets of analysis can become rote, which at best might lead to implementation without the full understanding of the user and at worst, inappropriate application leading to misguided conclusions. In this book a “learning by doing” approach is employed to encourage readers to begin developing an intuitive understanding of population genetics concepts. The analytical software R, which has increasingly been the program of choice for early exposure to basic statistical programming, is freely available online, has cross-platform compatibility (Windows, Mac, and Linux all support distributions of R), and offers the potential for hands-on implementation by the students, in addition to using pre-packaged functions.