Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

AP Biology· difficulty 4/5

In a large randomly mating population, allele aa is recessive lethal — homozygotes aaaa die before reproducing. Currently q=0.2q = 0.2. Assuming no other forces, what is the frequency of aa after one generation of selection?

  • A

    q=q2=0.04q' = q^2 = 0.04 (homozygotes are eliminated)

  • B

    q=0.2q' = 0.2 (selection on aaaa does not change allele frequency)

  • C

    q=q1+q0.167q' = \frac{q}{1+q} \approx 0.167

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  • D

    q=0.5q' = 0.5 (deleterious alleles always trend toward 1/2)

Explanation

For recessive lethal, q=q/(1+q)=0.2/1.2=1/6approx0.167q' = q/(1+q) = 0.2/1.2 = 1/6 \\approx 0.167. Allele decreases each generation but slowly because heterozygotes carry it.

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