4a. In a population of Lesser Snozzlewompins, a species of horned rodent that th

Question

4a. In a population of Lesser Snozzlewompins, a species of horned rodent that thrives on the high elevation plains of the Andean Plateau, allele H of the horn size gene mutates to allele h at a rate of 1 copy per 100 alleles, per generation. In other words, for every 100 H alleles made during gamete formation, 1 will be converted to an h allele by mutation. If the initial allele frequencies are H = 0.7 and h = 0.3, what are the expected allele frequencies in the next generation, assuming all other conditions of the Hardy-Weinberg principle are being satisfied? Please show all of your work and calculations.

4b. Next, let's assume that the population of Lesser Snozzlewompins is reduced in size to the degree that genetic drift becomes a significant mechanism of allele frequency change. Using the mutation rate you calculated above, determine the effective population size (Ne) required to offset the effects of genetic drift.

Explanation / Answer

a)

Allele of horn size (H) = 100

Mutated allele (h) = 1 in 100

Frequency of H = 0.7

percent of mutated allele (h) = 1(0.7) / 100 = 0.007

Changed allele frequency (H) after 1 generation = 07 - 0.007 = 0.693

Changed allele frequency (h) after 1 generation = 1 - 0.693 = 0.307

b) Mutation rate fixed in population (1/u) = 1/100 = 0.01

Effective population size after mutation and genetic drift = 1/u = 4Ne

Ne = 4 (0.01) = 0.04

                      = 100 (1- 0.04) = 96

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