Chapter 5 - Genetic Equilibrium

Notes for Understanding Evolution - Chapter 5

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First Cladogram Assignment: Due date 2/27/03 in class.

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Notes for Chapter 5: Genetic Equilibrium

Introduction

I. Mendelian Inheritance

II. Random Mating

RQUE5.1: Under assumptions of random mating, why is it that genotype frequencies tend to remain about constant?

III. Gene Frequencies

RQUE5.2: If there is little difference in the fitness of rare vs. common alleles, why do rare alleles tend to persist through time?

IV. Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

Links: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7

Listing of genetics websites

Teachers: Check out these lessons on genetics and evolution

RQUE5.3: Estimate the expected frequency of genotype Aa if the allele frequency of A = 0.3 and a = 0.7. Would it be unexpected to have a case like this where a dominant allele less common than a recessive one?

V. Estimating the Frequency of Heterozygotes

RQUE5.4: How common are rare recessive abnormal alleles, for example, in human populations?

VI. Implications

RQUE5.5: If Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium theory describes conditions under which populations do not evolve, why is this theory still important to understanding how populations might evolve?

Click link to return to Biology 404 Schedule
or back to Chapter 4 or ahead to Chapter 6