 A key point driving the HapMap project was the fact that SNPs can be used to uncover connections between an individual’s DNA sequence and specific conditions or traits. At face value an SNP is simply a distinguishing mark in the genome of a person. Such marks allow researchers to screen groups of a population with different phenotypes, for instance those with a condition (e.g., high blood pressure) and those without. Looking at the frequency of specific SNPs or haplotypes in either group the researchers can use statistical analysis to get insight into the association between a particular SNP or haplotype and a trait (Cardon &amp; Bell 2001). As mentioned above, this analysis can be focused on tag SNPs that are treated as proxies for a whole cluster of SNPs (if the cluster has a high LD).