Hi, I used linear discriminant analysis (lda) to classify and to cross-validate samples of two plant species based on morphometric data and to identify the variables that best discriminate between the two species. Because some of the variables are not, and can not be transformed to be, normally distributed, I would like to use a non-parametric method. Are there any R packages that provide methods for non-parametric discriminant analysis? Would randomForest (http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/randomForest) be appropriate and recommended? Thanks for help and best regards Walter Durka -- ***** Dr. Walter Durka Department Bioz?noseforschung Department of community ecology Helmholtz-Zentrum f?r Umweltforschung GmbH - UFZ Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ Theodor-Lieser-Str. 4 / 06120 Halle / Germany walter.durka at ufz.de / http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=798 phone +49 345 558 5314 / Fax +49 345 558 5329