Microevolution Supplement #1

A Guide to Solving Almost Any Hardy-Weinberg

Genetics Problem
(and some sample problems with answers)
By Ruth Kirkpatrick

(Updated Spring 2005)

For Two Alleles
Step 1: First write down these two equations. They are always true.
p+q=1

where p = frequency of allele A, q = freq. of allele B

AA + AB + BB = 1

where AA = freq. homozygous dominant genotype

AB = freq. heterozygous genotype
BB = freq. homozygous recessive genotype

Step 2: Does the problem allow you to assume that the alleles are in Hardy -Weinberg
equilibrium?
If so, you can write down this third equation:
p2 + 2 pq + q2

where p2 = frequency of AA
2pq = frequency of AB
q2 = frequency of BB

If you arent given this as an assumption, the problem often will be asking you to figure out if the
alleles are in fact, in equilibrium.
Step 3: What information are you given about allele or genotype frequencies? It is often possible to
figure out all the other alleles and genotype frequencies by the process of deduction, and you can
do this before directly attacking the question at hand.
Are you given the frequency of an allele p? Find q = 1-p. Next, if you can assume H-W, you can
figure out the genotype frequencies using equation 3: p2 = AA, 2pq = AB, q2 = BB.
Are you given either of the homozygous genotypes AA or BB? If you can assume H-W, take the
square root of the frequency using p2 = AA or q2 = BB and then deduce the allele frequencies. If
you are just given the heterozygote frequency, then this is one situation where you cannot deduce
the allele frequency when provided with only this information.

Solving Hardy-Weinberg Problems - 1

 Are you given either the recessive or dominant phenotype? The dominant phenotype is equivalent to AA + AB genotypes, or p2 + 2pq if you can assume H-W. The recessive genotype is BB or
q2. Because you can only take the square root of BB to directly find an allele frequency, you should
first subtract 1 - p2 - 2pq = q2 if you are given the dominant phenotype frequency.
Step 4: Identify what the question is asking. If you were able to calculate all the genotype and
allele frequencies, you might already have your answer at hand without doing any further math.
If you have the allele frequencies and are being asked what the heterozygote genotype frequency
is, or a phenotype frequency, given H-W equilibrium, you can plug this into equation 3: p2 + 2pq
+ p2 = 1
If you are being asked whether the alleles are in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, you need to figure
out whether p2 = AA
2pq = AB
q2 = BB
The problem will have to give you the genotype frequencies AA, AB, BB and at least one allele p
or q. Simply calculate whether the above equations are true.
Sometimes you may be asked for number of alleles in a population rather than the frequency. If
you are given number of individuals with certain genotypes, the number of allele A is 2X AA
homozygote + 1X AB heterozygote. Do a similar calculation for BB.

Solving Hardy-Weinberg Problems - 2

Genetics / Hardy-Weinberg Problems

by Ruth Kirkpatrick(& many others through the years

(Updated Spring 2005)

1.

A species of fish can be either solid black or black with white stripes. A census finds that 36%
of the fish have the dominant black phenotype and no migration, selection, or significant
drift or mutation are occurring, so you can safely assume that the population is in HardyWeinberg equilibrium. What is the frequency of the dominant allele?

2.

In a population of pea plants that can have red (RR), pink (RW), or white (WW) flowers, the
frequency of the red allele is 0.22. Is this population in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium? Here is
a census of plant flower colors: red = .05, pink = 0.35, and white = 0.6.

3.

In humans, the gene for blue eyes is partially recessive to the gene for brown eyes. Assume
Hardy-Weinberg proportions, and assume a simple model where only one gene locus is
involved in eye pigment. In a population of 60 people, 11 have blue eyes, 29 have homozygous brown eyes, and 20 people are heterozygotes, how many blue alleles are there?

4.

A gene is known to have three alleles (X1, X2, X3). Alleles X1 and X2 show incomplete dominance, and the phenotypes for X1X1, X1X2, and X2X2 are orange, yellow, and purple, respectively; X1 is dominant to X3, while X3 is dominant to X2, producing a red phenotype. In a
genetic cross of X1X3 x X2X3, what are the expected phenotypic ratios in the offspring?

5.

If there are two alleles, A and B, and the genotype frequencies are 80% AA, 4% AB, and 16%
BB, what is the frequency of the B allele?

Solving Hardy-Weinberg Problems - 3

6.

If the genotype frequencies start at 30% AA, 20% AB, and 50% BB, what are the expected
genotype frequencies after one generation of random mating?

7.

If there are 2 alleles A and a (one dominant and one recessive) and two heterozygotes mate
what is the ratio of expected genotypes? What are the possible types of gametes that these
individuals could make and in what ratio would they be produced? What is the ratio of
expected phenotypes of their offspring?

8.

If the 2 alleles in the question above were incompletely dominant, what would the expected
ratio of genotypes and phenotypes be?

9.

If a population is composed of 16% homozygous dominant (2 alleles only) individuals, then

how many individuals out of the population carry at least one copy of the recessive allele?
(Assuming Hardy-Weinberg).

10. If 490 individuals out of a population of 1000 are homozygous dominant (2 alleles), then
how many individuals are heterozygous? (Assuming Hardy-Weinberg).

11. If one individual has the genotype AaBb, then what are all of the genotypes of the gametes
that individual could produce?

12. If 500 males are AA and 500 females are Aa and they all mate and produce one offspring after
mating only once, then how many heterozygotes will there be in the next generation

Solving Hardy-Weinberg Problems - 4