Multiple Allelic Frequencies in Populations at Equilibrium: Algorithms and Applications

Abstract

Population genetics often serves as a bridge between units on Mendelian genetics and neo-Darwinian evolution in the teaching of introductory college biology and advanced high school biology. The value of teaching the Hardy-Weinberg principle to determine allelic frequencies in populations at equilibrium was presented several years ago to readers of The American Biology Teacher. Because there continues to be great interest in population biology and evolution, the principle is presently included in most introductory college textbooks (Schefler 1968). When students have mastered the Hardy-Weinberg concept and gained competence in calculating alternate allele frequencies, they begin asking for methods to determine allelic frequencies when series of multiple alleles for a gene locus exist. This paper presents a novel shortcut algorithm for solving problems related to multiple allelic frequencies in populations at equilibrium. Ceppellini et al. (1955) seem to be among the first to have presented an algebraic approach to the solution of multiple allelic frequency problems. Falconer (1960) simplified the method for applications dealing with the major alleles of the human ABO blood groups. Some standard introductory genetics textbooks (Burns 1983; Gardner et al. 1985) include Falconer's method for solving problems where three alleles of a gene locus exist. This paper, however, demonstrates how Falconer's method may be applied to determine multiple allelic frequencies in populations at equilibrium when more than three alleles of a gene locus exist. Coat Color in Rabbits