Comparative analysis of morphological traits in biochemically homozygous and heterozygous individuals from a single population

The distributions of 14 morphological traits in heterozygous vs homozygous individuals for each of five biochemical loci [MNSs-two loci, Rhesus (Cc locus), Duffy and PGM] were analysed in a single panmictic population. Definite differences were observed at superlocus MNS, for which the diheterozygote sample included a significantly higher percentage of individuals having values of metric characters within the range average ±0.67 standard deviation. For this superlocus the majority of dihomozygotes were extreme morphological phenotypes. The distribution of morphometric traits in diheterozygotes MNSs was also characterized by lower values of the coefficient of variation and average values of the coefficient of correlation between various morphometric traits, and showed higher values of kurtosis than did dihomozygotes. All the mentioned parameters were in agreement and indicated that individuals heterozygous at locus MNS tend to be nearer to the center of the morphological traits distribution within the population than the homozygous ones.