Population Genetics Practice Problems

Question 1.
An enzyme locus in Drosophila has 2 alleles E1 and E2. 75 Drosophila were genotyped for this
locus. There were 25 E1E1, 45E1E2 and 5 E2E2

a. What is the allele frequency of E1 and E2?

b. Is the population in H-W equilibrium?

Question 2
Vermillion eye colour is X linked in Drosophila. The proportion of males in a population with
vermillion eyes was 1/500.
a. What is the frequency of the vermillion allele in the female population if H-W equilibrium
exists.
b. What is the frequency of carrier females?
c. What is the proportion of wild type females who are homozygous?

Question 3
In the Sardinian population the incidence of beta thalassaemia is 1/300 live births.
Assume the population is in H-W equilibrium.
a. What is the carrier frequency of Beta Thalassaemia in Sardinia.
b. What proportion of those unaffected by Thalassaemia are homozygous?

Question  4  Section  B  (10  marks/  10minutes)    

Fill in the blanks in the following statements (A-E) by selecting the most appropriate
answer from the list provided (11-27). Any answer may be used more than once or not at
all. Enter the numbers of your chosen alternatives in Box X of the Section X Answer
Sheet. A correct response worth 2 marks.

In a species of bird, tail feathers can be red, blue or a mixture of red and blue feathers.
The gene locus has two alleles and there is codominance at this locus. A sample of 500
birds was checked for tail feather colour and the results are shown in the table.

CRCR CRCB CBCB

red red and blue blue

100 200 200

B
The frequency of the C allele in this population is A.____. If this population is in Hardy Weinberg
R R
equilibrium, the expected number of the C C genotype is, B.____. A second locus in these birds
determines whether the feathers are patterned or not. Patterned (P) is completely dominant to
non patterned (p). When a sample of 100 birds was checked for this phenotype 25 had no
pattern on their wings

If Hardy Weinberg equilibrium is assumed, the frequency of the p allele in this population is
C.____. The proportion of the patterned birds which are heterozygous is D.____. A third locus
located on the Z chromosome determined whether the bird was albino or not. Albinism was
recessive and in the female population the frequency of the albino allele (a) was 0.3. Assuming
the population is in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of male birds heterozygous for
albinism is E.__.

Answer list for Question X (note: the numbers 1-10 and numbers with a “0” are not used)

11. 0.25 17. 0.67 24. 250

12. 0.4 18. 0.75 25. 360
13. 0.42 19. 0.8 26. 450
14. 0.5 21. 40 27. 594
15. 0.55 22. 80
16. 0.6 23. 160
Question 1 solution
 An enzyme locus in Drosophila has 2 alleles E1 and E2. 75 Drosophila were genotyped
for this locus. There were 25 E1E1, 45E1E2 and 5 E2E2

a. What is the allele frequency of E1 and E2?

f(E1) = 25 x 2 + 45/150 = 0.63 F9E2) = 0.37

b. Is the population in H-W equilibrium?

Calculate expected genotypic frequencies using p2 2pq q2 (ie., Hardy-Weinberg)

E1E1 E1E2 E2E2

Observed 25 45 5
Expected p2 = (0,63)2 x 75 2pq = 2 x 0.63 x q2 = (0,37)2 x 75 =
= 0.37 x 75
Expected 30 35 10

Chi Square = Σ (O-E)2

E
X2 = (30-25) 2/30 + (45 -35)2/35 + (5 -10) 2/10

= 0.83 + 2.86 + 2.5

= 6.19 Null hypothesis is that there is no difference between observed and expected except
due to chance.
X2 for 2 degrees freedom P <0.001
P <0.05 so have to reject the null hypothesis and the underlying genetics hypothesis so not
in H-W equilibrium

Question 2 solution
Vermillion  eye  colour  is  X  linked  in  Drosophila.  The  proportion  of  males  in  a  population  with  
vermillion  eyes  was  1/500.  
a.     What  is  the  frequency  of  the  vermillion  allele  in  the  female  population  if  H-­‐W  
equilibrium  exists.    
 
f(v)  in  females  is  the  same  as  in  males  if  HWequil  ie.,    0.002  
b.   What  is  the  frequency  of  carrier  females?  
 
q  =  0.002  p  =  0.998  carrier  females  =  2pq  =  2  x  0.002  x  0.998  =  0.004  
c.   What  is  the  proportion  of  wild  type  females  who  are  homozygous?    
 
=  p2/p2  +  2pq  =  (0.998)  2/  (0.998)  2    +2  x  0.998  x  0.002  
=  0.996  /  0.996  +  0.004  
=  0.996  

Question 3 solution
In the Sardinian population the incidence of beta thalassaemia is 1/300 live births.
Assume the population is in H-W equilibrium.
a. What is the carrier frequency of Beta Thalassaemia in Sardinia.

q2 = 1/300 therefore q = 31/300 = 0.06 p = 0.94 carriers =

2pq so 2 x 0.94 x 0.06 = 0.11
b. What proportion of those unaffected by Thalassaemia are homozygous?
All unaffecteds = p2 +2pq homozygotes = p2
2 2 2
p/p + 2pq = (0.94) /(0.94) + 2 0.94 x 0.06 = 0.88/0.88 + 0.11 = 0.89

Question 4 solution
Fill in the blanks in the following statements (A-E) by selecting the most appropriate answer
from the list provided (11- 27). Any answer may be used more than once or not at all. Enter
the numbers of your chosen alternatives in Box X of the Section X Answer Sheet. A
correct response worth 2 marks.

In a species of bird, tail feathers can be red, blue or a mixture of red and blue feathers. The
gene locus has two alleles and there is codominance at this locus. A sample of 500 birds
was checked for tail feather colour and the results are shown in the table.

CR CR CR CB CB CB
red red blue
and
blue
Numbers of
each
100 200 200
genotype

The frequency of the CB allele in this population is A.16 If this population is in Hardy
Weinberg equilibrium, the expected number of the CRCR genotype is, B. 22
A second locus in these birds determines whether the feathers are patterned or not.
Patterned (P) is completely dominant to non patterned (p). When a sample of 100 birds was
checked for this phenotype 25 had no pattern on their wings

If Hardy Weinberg equilibrium is assumed, the frequency of the p allele in this population is
C 14. The proportion of the patterned birds which are heterozygous is D17
A third locus located on the Z chromosome determined whether the bird was albino or not.
Albinism was recessive and in the female population the frequency of the albino allele (a)
was 0.3.
Assuming the population is in Hardy Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of male birds
heterozygous for albinism is E.13.

Answer list for Question X (note: the numbers 1-10 and numbers with a “0” are not used)
11. 0.25 17. 0.67 24. 250
12. 0.4 18. 0.75 25. 360
13. 0.42 19. 0.8 26. 450
14. 0.5 21. 40 27. 594
15. 0.55 22. 80
16. 0.6 23. 160