Biometrics and Mendelian genetics Francis Galton was a pioneer in using statistica methods to quantify human traits and behaviors For example he recognized that the distribution of many traits such as height, weight, intelligence closely approximate the"noma”( aka Gaussian”) distribution He also recognized that inherited traits tended to move toward average values, a phenomenon he termed, " regression to the mean Most of galton s work on inheritance was carried out before the re-discovery of Mendel's experiments Sir Francis Galton 1822-1911 The paradigm under which Galton and other (English Victorian polymath;"biometricians"worked was that inheritance of human Cousin of charles darwin traits involved the mixing or blending of factors present biometician; eugenicist) in the parents. This picture is very different from that obtained from Mendel's experiments, which implied that inherited traits are determined by discrete factors that remain unchanged from generation to generationBiometrics and Mendelian genetics Sir Francis Galton 1822-1911 (English Victorian polymath; Cousin of Charles Darwin; biometician; eugenicist) Francis Galton was a pioneer in using statistical methods to quantify human traits and behaviors. For example, he recognized that the distribution of many traits such as height, weight, intelligence closely approximate the “normal” (aka “Gaussian”) distribution. He also recognized that inherited traits tended to move toward average values, a phenomenon he termed, “regression to the mean.” Most of Galton’s work on inheritance was carried out before the re-discovery of Mendel’s experiments. The paradigm under which Galton and other “biometricians” worked was that inheritance of human traits involved the mixing or blending of factors present in the parents. This picture is very different from that obtained from Mendel’s experiments, which implied that inherited traits are determined by discrete factors that remain unchanged from generation to generation