Question

Explain what hitchhiking with linkage drag is in terms of a haplotype block. Then give a cultural analogy of hitchhiking with linkage drag.

Answer 1

Genetic hitchhiking refers to the phenomenon where a neutral locus (in selection terms) shows an allelic behavior that fits selective pressure due to being linked to another locus that is actually under selective pressure.

Let us discuss our cultural example. In american countries, height is under selective pressure when females choose a partner, being tallness more selected than shortness. Now, tallness is often linked with caucassian traits, so traits like pale skin, thin hair, or even baldness (traits that are more common in caucassians than in native american or african origins) get to show such a selective pressure as tallness.