ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the ways to answer the two fundamental questions of Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping experimental design using the concepts of statistical power. It discusses detection power on a single-locus level. The chapter then extends the methodology to multi-locus detection power. Single marker analysis (SMA) is based on the comparison between marker genotypic means through a t-test, an analysis of variance, a likelihood ratio test or a simple regression for a trait on coded marker genotypes. It is common to consider that the genetic effects are normally distributed. This means that genes with large and small effects have low frequencies and genes with median effects have relatively high frequencies. It is also common to determine the genetic effects arbitrarily or based on experimental results.
