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OJB©
Online Journal of Bioinformatics©
Volume
6 : 34-41, 2005
Morphometric and Distance
Computation Software for evolutionary studies.
Carvajal-Rodríguez A, Rodríguez MG
Departamento
de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de
Vigo, 36310 VIGO, Spain
Abstract
.
Carvajal-Rodríguez A, Rodríguez MG, Morphometric and Distance Computation Software for evolutionary studies, Online J Bioinformatics, 6 : 34-41, 2005. In evolutionary studies, quantitative differences
within and between populations require the measurement of specific quantitative
traits such as size and shape. Geometric morphometry
distinguishes shape and size precisely. Currently there are freely available
programs such as tpsRelw but there is no program
which allows for hierarchical structured data or ANOVA tests to estimate
genetic components of quantitative variation within and between populations.
MODICOS (MOrphometry and DIstance
COmputation Software oriented for evolutionary
studies) is a computer program with a user-friendly Windows 95/98/2000/NT/XP
interface. MODICOS computes some morphometric
measures as centroid size, uniform and non-uniform
components of shape and uses them to calculate estimates of quantitative
(heritable) variation both at the intra and inter-population level.
Specifically, MODICOS computes additive genetic variances of size and shape
measurements both for half sib or full sib family design (one way ANOVA) and
inter-population differentiation measure QST
(two way ANOVA). To show the use of MODICOS, a complete analysis (morphometric and genetic) was performed using a sample of
two different ecotypes of Littorina
saxatilis (rough periwinkle), each with 29
and 30 families respectively, and 3 individuals per family. It seems that the
non-uniform shape component is more efficient capturing the effect of natural
selection onto the two different ecotypes. This program may be viewed here.
KEYWORDS: Software, quantitative
genetic variation