The genetic makeup of a human population must be treated as a major factor in any biological, medical or social study of that group. That is the premise underlying this comprehensive, advanced treatment of the nature and source of inherited characteristics, which provides the reader with a sound introduction to the mathematical techniques useful in this area. Emphasizing the interpretation of data in relation to theoretical models, the book begins with the basic concepts of genetics, advancing to discussions of Mendelian populations, mutations, transient and balanced polymorphisms, genetic demography and natural selection, and inbreeding. A review of population structure (focusing on genetic drift and migration) is succeeded by chapters on sexual dimorphism and human evolution, concluding with an examination of eugenics, euphenics, and human welfare. Helpful appendixes feature information on statistics and probability, segregation and linkage analysis in human pedigrees and the estimation of gene frequencies, and sample problems.