Answer KEY

Bio110 Name ________________________________________

Spring 2014
Population Genetics Homework

Due Monday May 12
SHOW YOUR WORK!!


1. You have sampled a population in which you know that the percentage of the
homozygous recessive genotype (aa) is 16%. Using that 16%, and assuming
that the population is under Hardy-Weinberg conditions, calculate the
following:
A. The frequency of the "aa" genotype.
Since the homozygous recessive is 16% (given in the question), the
frequency of aa is 0.16
B. The frequency of the "a" allele.
Since we can assume Hardy Weinberg, the frequency of the a allele,
as given by the formula p
2
+2pq+q
2
= 1 is the square root of 0.16 = 0.4.
(q
2
= 0.16, so q = square root of 0.16 = 0.4)
C. The frequency of the "A" allele.
Using the formula p+q = 1, and knowing that q = 0.4 from above, p = 1-
p = 1-0.4 = 0.6
D. The frequencies of the genotypes "AA" and "Aa."
Using the H-W formula, AA = p
2
= (0.6)
2
= 0.36; Aa = 2pq = 2(0.4)(0.6)
= 0.48. Remember that, to check your work the frequencies of AA, Aa,
and aa have to add up to 1. If not, you made a math error. (Lets see:
0.36+0.48+0.16 = 1. PHEW!)
E. The frequencies of the two possible phenotypes if "A" is completely
dominant over "a."
The phenotypes are Dominant and recessive. We know that
recessive comes from genotype aa, which has frequency 0.16.
Dominant must be the rest, genotypes AA and Aa, or 1-(0.16) = 0.84.
You could also add the frequencies of AA to the frequency of Aa =
0.36+0.48 = 0.84.
2. A very large population of randomly-mating laboratory mice contains 35%
white mice. White coloring is caused by the double recessive genotype, "aa".
Calculate allelic and genotypic frequencies for this population.
Because the population is very large and randomly mating, we can
assume it meets Hardy Weinbergs assumptions. So we can use the formula
to calculate allele frequencies from the given genotypic frequency. If the
frequency of aa is 0.35 = q
2
, then the frequency of a, or q, = square root of
035 which is ~0.6. (Or 0.59). So allele frequencies are A = 0.4, and a = 0.6.
Plug those allelic frequencies into p
2
+2pq+q
2
, and you get genotypic
frequencies of: AA = 0.16, Aa = 0.48, aa = 0.36
3. Researchers studying a small milkweed population note that some plants
produce a toxin and other plants do not. They identify the gene responsible
for toxin production. Allele A1 codes for an enzyme that makes the toxin, and
the allele A2 codes for an alternative enzyme that is not toxic. Heterozygotes
produce an intermediate amount of toxin. The genotypes of all individuals in
the population are determined (see chart) and used to determine the actual
allele frequencies in the population.




Refer to the figure above. Is this population in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?
Explain your answer. What can you conclude about this population? What
can you determine about which allele (A1 or A2) is dominant and which one is
recessive?

In this problem we CANNOT use the Hardy-Weinberg formula to convert the
genotypic frequencies (e.g. A1A1) to allelic frequencies. Instead, we have to
calculate the true allelic frequencies of A1 and A2 from the given observed
genotypic frequencies. The frequency of A1 = (frequency of A1A1) +
(frequency of A1A2) = 0.47+0.14 = 0.61. The frequency of A2 = 1-(frequency
of A1) = 0.39.

Next, plug those TRUE allelic frequencies into the Hardy-Weinberg equation
to calculate what genotypic frequencies we would expect if H-W was
accurate. So, the expected frequency of A1A1 = p
2
= (0.47)
2
= 0.37, A1A2 = 2pq
= 2(0.61)(0.39) = 0.48, A2A2 = q
2
= (0.39)
2
= 0.15. (OK, lets check our work:
the three genotypic frequencies should add up to 1: 0.37 + 0.48 + 0.15 = 1.
PHEW!)

Now we compare the expected frequencies to the observed genotypic
frequencies given above.
Observed genotypic
frequencies
A1A1 A1A2 A2A2
0.47 0.28 0.25







The expected genotypic frequencies are quite different, so this population is
NOT in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. So you can conclude that this population
is evolving.

Finally, you know that neither A1 nor A2 is dominant over the other: this trait
is a case of incomplete dominance as described in the instructions.

4. Congratulations! You have been hired to study the biology of several
populations of loons, a kind of bird that is found in the lakes of the
Adirondacks and mountains of New England. Most loons have black heads
and spotted-white backs. You find that, on one lake, half of the loons heads
are spotted like their backs are. Your follow-up research indicates that there
is no fitness advantage the black-headed and spotted-headed loons each
reproduce at the same rate. Yet, clearly this population has evolved! Propose
one evolutionary mechanism that explains this observation, including details
that justify your proposed mechanism. (Feel free to make up details, as long
as they are consistent with your mechanism).
The clearest answer was that, the lake with the 50-50 ratio had a small
population of ducks on it that was prone to genetic drift: random events
made the spotted heads become more common than in the other lake, not
because spotted heads were a better trait. I did not accept mutation while
the original source of the spotted-head trait must have been a mutation, the
only way that mutation could explain a 50-50 ratio is if ALL the spotted-head
loons had the SAME mutation. Genetic drift, making this trait more common,
is much more likely.

An argument could also be made that Gene flow took place if you assume
that there was another lake somewhere else that was mostly Spotted-headed
loons, and some migrants were boosting the frequency of the spotted-head
trait in this lake.
Genotypic frequencies
A1A1 A1A2 A2A2
Observed 0.47 0.28 0.25
Expected 0.37 0.48 0.15
Observed - expected 0.10 -0.20 0.10