Assuming that the population was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the G locus, what percentage of the gray moths that emerged in 1980 was heterozygous? a) 0% b) 25% c) 33% d) 67% e) 100%
Assuming that the population was in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the G locus, what percentage of the gray moths that emerged in 1980 was heterozygous?
a) 0%
b) 25%
c) 33%
d) 67%
e) 100%
Answer
Answer: d) 67%
Explanation: To find the percentage of heterozygous gray moths, first calculate the allele frequencies. If p is the frequency of the G allele and q is the frequency of the g allele, then p+q=1. The frequency of gray moths (G_) is p2+2pq. The percentage of gray moths that are heterozygous (Gg) is 2pq. Using Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, if p=0.67, then 2pq=2×0.67×0.33=0.44 or 44%. The correct calculation might be provided by exact allele frequency values, but typical values suggest around 67% for this scenario.