Inheritance of dermatoglyphic diversity in 500 Indian pedigrees: complex segregation analysis.

The main goal of the present communication is to determine the mode of inheritance of dermatoglyphic diversity traits through complex segregation analyses (genetic model fittings). The data consists of a large ethnically homogeneous sample of 500 Indian pedigrees (2435 individuals) of two generations. Principal component analysis, familial correlations and segregation analysis (package MAN-5) were used. A little genetic effect obtained from familial correlations but no evidence of major gene contribution found to be involved. By segregation analysis of the traits- PC 1_ Div, Div 9 and Div 11, both Mendelian and Environmental models were rejected (<<0.001) with the General model, i.e. despite the presence of significant inheritance (rejection of Environmental model), the nature of inheritance is more complex, than Mendelian model.