Question

directions: solve the problem shown below. any data, calculations, or models you use to support your thinking should be explained.

problem: a rabbit population consists of brown and white rabbits. this specific population of rabbits lives in the desert. brown rabbits (b) are dominant to white rabbits (b). in generation 1, there are 2 homozygous dominant rabbits, 1 heterozygous rabbit, and 2 homozygous recessive rabbits. over 10 generations, the rabbits experience a shortage of food and face predators. in generation 10, there are 2 homozygous dominant rabbits, 2 heterozygous rabbits, and 1 homozygous recessive rabbit.

is natural selection impacting the frequency of the dominant allele in this population? explain.

Explanation:

Step1: Calculate allele frequencies in generation 1

The total number of rabbits in generation 1 is \(2 + 1+2=5\). The total number of alleles is \(2\times5 = 10\). The number of dominant alleles (\(B\)) in generation 1 is \(2\times2+1 = 5\). So the frequency of the dominant allele (\(p_1\)) is \(\frac{5}{10}=0.5\).

Step2: Calculate allele frequencies in generation 10

The total number of rabbits in generation 10 is \(2 + 2+1=5\). The total number of alleles is \(2\times5 = 10\). The number of dominant alleles (\(B\)) in generation 10 is \(2\times2 + 2=6\). So the frequency of the dominant allele (\(p_{10}\)) is \(\frac{6}{10}=0.6\).

Step3: Analyze the change

Since the frequency of the dominant allele has changed from \(p_1 = 0.5\) in generation 1 to \(p_{10}=0.6\) in generation 10, and the rabbits have experienced food - shortage and predation (selective pressures), natural selection is impacting the frequency of the dominant allele.

Answer:

Yes, natural selection is impacting the frequency of the dominant allele. The frequency of the dominant allele increased from 0.5 in generation 1 to 0.6 in generation 10, likely due to selective pressures such as food shortage and predation.