The program SAMOVA2 implements an approach to define groups of populations that are geographically homogeneous and maximally differentiated from each other. As a by-product, it also leads to the identification of genetic barriers between these groups. The method is based on a simulated annealing procedure that aims at maximizing the proportion of total genetic variance due to differences between groups of populations (SAMOVA is the acronym for the Spatial Analysis of MOlecular VAriance).
A new functionality of SAMOVA2 is to define groups of populations that are maximally differentiated from each other, without constraint for the geographic composition of the groups.
The author is Isabelle Dupanloup.
The web site of the original version (1.0) of SAMOVA can be found here.
Dupanloup, I, S. Schneider, L. Excoffier (2002) A simulated annealing approach to define the genetic structure of populations. Molecular Ecology 11: 2571-81.