EPISTASIS AND ITS CONSEQUENCES FOR THE EVOLUTION OF NATURAL-POPULATIONS

Throughout the neodarwinian synthesis, theorists have debated the Pole of gene interactions, or epistasis, in the evolutionary process, Unfo rtunately, empirical measurement of the role of epistasis in the evolu tion of natural populations has, until now, been difficult. Two develo pments in empirical approaches have occurred: (1) application of quant itative genetic theory to the evolution of natural populations, acid ( 2) the concurrent development of molecular marker-assisted techniques to understand the architecture of quantitative genetic variation, Thus , exciting developments in both theory acid empirical data collection provide the stimulus needed for documenting the role of epistasis in t he evolutionary process.