The multivariate statistic has been used in genetic divergence studies concerning medicinal plants. Analysis of the genetic distance among individuals is an important tool for population studies and breeding strategies. This work aims to present the main statistical methodologies for genetic divergence studies when dominant molecular markers are used. The clustering of individuals using their calculated genetic distances results in a dissimilarity dendrogram. Different similarity coefficients and clustering methodologies present particular characteristics, adapting to different species and studied data. The inadequate utilization of similarity coefficients can lead to wrong conclusions in research works.
similarity coefficients; clustering analysis; RAPD
