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Marker assisted selection or marker aided selection is an indirect selection process where a trait of interest is selected based on a marker linked to a trait of interest , rather than on the trait itself. This process has been extensively researched and proposed for plant and animal breeding.
For example, using MAS to select individuals with disease resistance involves identifying a marker allele that is linked with disease resistance rather than the level of disease resistance. The assumption is that the marker associates at high frequency with the gene or quantitative trait locus of interest, due to genetic linkage. MAS can be useful to select for traits that are difficult or expensive to measure, exhibit low heritability and/or are expressed late in development. At certain points in the breeding process the specimens are examined to ensure that they express the desired trait.