You sample a population of butterflies and find that 56% are heterozygous at a particular locus. what should be the frequency of the recessive allele in this population?
a. 0.07
b. 0.08
c. 0.09
d. 0.70

The correct answer is Not Available

Explanation:

From the Hardy Weinberg Law of Population and Genetics,

We have

x²+2xy+y²=1 and

x+y=1

where

x = frequency of the dominant allele in the population

y = frequency of the recessive allele in the population

x2 = percentage of homozygous dominant individuals

y2 = percentage of homozygous recessive individuals

2xy = percentage of heterozygous individuals

Given 2xy = 0.56

from here, y=0.28/x, (the frequency of the recessive allele ) can be obtained

we need to find 'x'

recall, x+y=1, x=1-y

substituting this gives us

y=0.28/(1-y), which becomes,

y(1-y)=0.28

y2-y+0.28 (quadratic equation)

Solving this to find 'y' gives two imaginary values of y

There is no imaginary solution among the options and hence No answer.

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in 1859, charles darwin set out his theory of evolution by natural selection as an explanation for adaptation and speciation. he defined natural selection as the "principle by which each slight variation [of a trait], if useful, is preserved".