---
_id: '430'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: In this issue of GENETICS, a new method for detecting natural selection on
    polygenic traits is developed and applied to sev- eral human examples ( Racimo
    et al. 2018 ). By de fi nition, many loci contribute to variation in polygenic
    traits, and a challenge for evolutionary ge neticists has been that these traits
    can evolve by small, nearly undetectable shifts in allele frequencies across each
    of many, typically unknown, loci. Recently, a helpful remedy has arisen. Genome-wide
    associ- ation studies (GWAS) have been illuminating sets of loci that can be interrogated
    jointly for c hanges in allele frequencies. By aggregating small signal s of change
    across many such loci, directional natural selection is now in principle detect-
    able using genetic data, even for highly polygenic traits. This is an exciting
    arena of progress – with these methods, tests can be made for selection associated
    with traits, and we can now study selection in what may be its most prevalent
    mode. The continuing fast pace of GWAS publications suggest there will be many
    more polygenic tests of selection in the near future, as every new GWAS is an
    opportunity for an accom- panying test of polygenic selection. However, it is
    important to be aware of complications th at arise in interpretation, especially
    given that these studies may easily be misinter- preted both in and outside the
    evolutionary genetics commu- nity. Here, we provide context for understanding
    polygenic tests and urge caution regarding how these results are inter- preted
    and reported upon more broadly.
article_processing_charge: No
author:
- first_name: John
  full_name: Novembre, John
  last_name: Novembre
- first_name: Nicholas H
  full_name: Barton, Nicholas H
  id: 4880FE40-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
  last_name: Barton
  orcid: 0000-0002-8548-5240
citation:
  ama: Novembre J, Barton NH. Tread lightly interpreting polygenic tests of selection.
    <i>Genetics</i>. 2018;208(4):1351-1355. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.118.300786">10.1534/genetics.118.300786</a>
  apa: Novembre, J., &#38; Barton, N. H. (2018). Tread lightly interpreting polygenic
    tests of selection. <i>Genetics</i>. Genetics Society of America. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.118.300786">https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.118.300786</a>
  chicago: Novembre, John, and Nicholas H Barton. “Tread Lightly Interpreting Polygenic
    Tests of Selection.” <i>Genetics</i>. Genetics Society of America, 2018. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.118.300786">https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.118.300786</a>.
  ieee: J. Novembre and N. H. Barton, “Tread lightly interpreting polygenic tests
    of selection,” <i>Genetics</i>, vol. 208, no. 4. Genetics Society of America,
    pp. 1351–1355, 2018.
  ista: Novembre J, Barton NH. 2018. Tread lightly interpreting polygenic tests of
    selection. Genetics. 208(4), 1351–1355.
  mla: Novembre, John, and Nicholas H. Barton. “Tread Lightly Interpreting Polygenic
    Tests of Selection.” <i>Genetics</i>, vol. 208, no. 4, Genetics Society of America,
    2018, pp. 1351–55, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1534/genetics.118.300786">10.1534/genetics.118.300786</a>.
  short: J. Novembre, N.H. Barton, Genetics 208 (2018) 1351–1355.
date_created: 2018-12-11T11:46:26Z
date_published: 2018-04-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2023-09-19T10:17:30Z
day: '01'
ddc:
- '576'
department:
- _id: NiBa
doi: 10.1534/genetics.118.300786
external_id:
  isi:
  - '000429094400005'
file:
- access_level: open_access
  checksum: 3d838dc285df394376555b794b6a5ad1
  content_type: application/pdf
  creator: system
  date_created: 2018-12-12T10:12:40Z
  date_updated: 2020-07-14T12:46:26Z
  file_id: '4958'
  file_name: IST-2018-1012-v1+1_2018_Barton_Tread.pdf
  file_size: 500129
  relation: main_file
file_date_updated: 2020-07-14T12:46:26Z
has_accepted_license: '1'
intvolume: '       208'
isi: 1
issue: '4'
language:
- iso: eng
month: '04'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 1351 - 1355
publication: Genetics
publication_status: published
publisher: Genetics Society of America
publist_id: '7393'
pubrep_id: '1012'
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Tread lightly interpreting polygenic tests of selection
tmp:
  image: /images/cc_by.png
  legal_code_url: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode
  name: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0)
  short: CC BY (4.0)
type: journal_article
user_id: c635000d-4b10-11ee-a964-aac5a93f6ac1
volume: 208
year: '2018'
...