Question

16. One summer a group of scientists were studying fur color in a population of rabbits that had either brown or white fur, where the brown fur was caused by a dominant allele (B). They noticed that white rabbits stood out more on the forest floor and where more likely to be captured by hawks in the area. In the population, the scientists counted 210 homozygous dominant rabbits, 190 heterozygous rabbits and 100 homozygous recessive rabbits.
What is the dominant allele frequency for this population?

17. There were an unusual amount of snow storms during the winter of that year, which left snow on the ground two months longer than usual. The following summer the scientist returned and counted 120 homozygous dominant rabbits, 110 heterozygous rabbits and 90 homozygous recessive rabbits.
a) What is the new dominant allele frequency for the population?
b) Did evolution occur? Why or why not?
c) If so, what type of evolution was responsible?

Answer 1

16.

Allelic frequency of dominant allele = (genotypic frequency of homozygous dominant) + (1/2) (genotypic frequency of heterozygotes)

Genotypic frequency = # individuals with that genotype / # total individuals

AF of p = 210/500 + (1/2) 190/500 = 210 + 95 / 500 = 305/500 = 0.61

Answer is 0.61.

17.

A. New AF of p = 120/320 + (1/2) (110/320) = 120 + 55 / 320 = 175/320 = 0.546

B. The allelic frequency has changes from 0.61 to 0.546.

C. This may be due to the non random mating between the rabbits or emigration of some rabbits or even genetoc drift.

Please rate high.

So, evolution was occuring.