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heritability estimate
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heritability estimate

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Heritability is a measure of how much of the observable variation in a population is due to genetic differences between individuals. It is expressed as a ratio, ranging from 0 to 1, where H2 = Vg/Vp. Here, Vg represents the variation due to genotypes, and Vp represents the total phenotypic variation.1

A heritability estimate of 1 means all variation is genetic, while 0 indicates all variation is environmental. This concept is frequently used in behavior genetics and quantitative genetics, often employing twin studies. However, heritability estimates do not indicate how sensitive a trait is to environmental changes, nor can they explain differences between populations.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. heritability
  2. heredity - Heritability

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