Question

Dr. Diablo discovers decaffeinated coffee beans growing within a population and estimates the frequency of the decaffeinated allele as q = 0.03.

a) Use the predictions of the Hardy-Weinberg model to estimate genotype frequencies at this locus in a population of 1000 plants

b) Dr. Diablo observes that plants with the decaf allele are less vigorous in the wild, and finds that DD homozygotes (for the decaf allele) have a relative fitness of 0.90, while DC heterozygotes have a fitness of 0.92, relative to the fitness of the CC homozygote. Assuming you start with the 1000 plants described above, what is the expected frequency of the D (decaf) allele after one generation of selection?

c) What is the value of the selection coefficient, s acting against the decaf allele (w_cc=1). What is the dominance coefficient, h? (these two concepts are covered in L07)

d) What is the value of the selection coefficient, s favouring the caf allele (w_DD=1). What is the dominance coefficient, h?

Answer 1