Traditionally, studies involving genome-wide linkage scans have used microsatellite markers spaced evenly across the genome at ~10-cM intervals. An alternative and increasingly popular strategy is to use a high-density map of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNPs have several advantages over their microsatellite counterparts. They are found far more abundantly in the genome and are easier to genotype. Howerver, because of the lower heterozygozity on a per marker basis, a larger number of SNPs is necessary to achieve an information content similar to that of microsatellites [2].
