What is the difference between discontinuous and continuous variation

Moreover, continuous variation is the more common type of genetic variation, while discontinuous variation is the simplest form of genetic variation. The presence of many genes for the determination of a particular trait causes continuous variation while one or few genes are responsible for the discontinuous variation. Furthermore, there is no one-to-one correspondence of genotype and phenotype in continuous variation while there is a predictable one-to-one relation between genotype and phenotype in discontinuous variation.

Weight, height, and length of organisms are examples of continuous variation while the color of petals, blood groups of animals, the gender of animals, etc. Continuous variation is the type of genetic variation in which a particular character shows an unbroken range of phenotypes.

Generally, it is the most common type of genetic variation governed by the presence of many genes. The weight and height of animals are examples of continuous variation. In contrast, discontinuous variation is the second type of genetic variation in which a particular character shows only several phenotypes.

Therefore, the continuous and discontinuous variation is the range of phenotypes for a particular character. An Introduction to Genetic Analysis. New York: W. Freeman; Genetic variation Available Here. View all posts. Leave a Reply Click here to cancel reply. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits.

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Necessary Necessary. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Continuous variation is the combined effect of many genes known as polygenic inheritance and is often significantly affected by environmental influences.

Milk yield in cows, for example is determined by not only by their genetic make-up but also significantly affected by environmental factors such as pasture quality, weather and the comfort of their surroundings. For any species a characteristic that changes gradually over a range of values show continuous variation. Examples of such characteristics are:. A characteristic of any species with only a limited number of possible values shows discontinuous variation. Human blood group is an example of discontinuous variation.

This is what is referred to as discontinuous variation. Discontinuous variation is controlled by alleles of a single gene or a small number of genes. The environment has little effect on this type of variation.

Viva Differences. What Is Continuous Variations?