In squirrels, the gray allele (G) is dominant to the brown allele (g) at the coa

Question

In squirrels, the gray allele (G) is dominant to the brown allele (g) at the coat color locus. A population of 160 squirrels in Pullen Park was scored for the coat color locus. The frequency of the gray allele was found to be 0.82. Due to construction at NC State, 66 NC State squirrels migrated to Pullen Park. The frequency of the gray allele in the NC State squirrels was 0.48. The squirrels mated randomly to form a progeny generation at Pullen Park. Assuming that no further migration occurred and that all other conditions for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were met, what is the frequency of the gray allele in the progeny generation at Pullen Park? Round your answer properly to 4 decimal digits.

Explanation / Answer

Based on the given data,

The allele G express gray color and it is dominant over brown allele g. Thus, the gray phenotype is expressed by the GG and Gg. The brown phenotype is expressed by the gg.

The frequency of gray allele (G) is 0.82, thus among 160 squirrels 132 have gray allele and 28 have brown allele. Thus, the frequency of brown allele (g) is 0.17.

From NC state 66 squirrels migrated to Pullen Park and the frequency of gray allele (G) is 0.48. Thus among 66 squirrels 27 have gray allele and 39 have brown allele. Thus, the frequency of brown allele (g) is 0.6.

The total population size is 226; from this pollution 159 have the G allele. Thus the frequency of G allele is 0.70. From this pollution 67 have the g allele. Thus the frequency of g allele is 0.30.

Now the population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, genotype frequencies can be calculated by knowing that the frequency of grey squirrels will equal q2, solving for q, and then calculating p = 1-q.

The square root of q2 is equal to q, thus the square root of 0.30 = 0.54

Since p + q = 1.0, you can now solve for p

1-0.54 = 0.46

The frequency for the grey allele is 0.46.

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