Heritability is a statistical concept in quantitative genetics that quantifies the proportion of the total phenotypic variation in a population that is attributable to genetic variation among individuals. This measure serves as a key metric for understanding the relative influence of genetic versus environmental factors on observed traits and is fundamental for predicting the potential response of a trait to selection in evolutionary biology and breeding programs. It is a population-specific statistic, dependent on the environment, and does not indicate the extent to which a trait is genetically determined in an individual.