Do Phenotypes Show Continuous Variation?

Many of the characters that are under selection in breeding programs, such as seed weight or milk production, have complex determination, and the phenotypes show continuous variation in populations. Animals or plants from one extreme end of the range are chosen and selectively bred.

Is phenotypic variation continuous?

MESSAGE. Discrete phenotypic forms of one character are often found to be determined by alleles of a single gene. Continuous variation of a character shows an unbroken range of phenotypes in the population. Metric characters such as height, weight, and color intensity provide good examples of continuous variation.

Which type of traits show continuous variation?

Quantitative traits are also called continuous traits, and they stand in contrast to qualitative, or discontinuous, traits that are expressed in the form of distinct phenotypes chosen from a discrete set. Continuous variation in the expression of a trait can be due to both genetic and non-genetic factors.