Open AccessA DIRECT ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF GENETIC DRIFT IN DETERMINING ALLELE FREQUENCY VARIATION IN POPULATIONS OF EUPHYDRYAS EDITHA
Author(s) -
Laurence D. Mueller,
Bruce A. Wilcox,
Paul R. Ehrlich,
David G. Heckel,
Dennis D. Murphy
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
genetics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.792
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1943-2631
pISSN - 0016-6731
DOI - 10.1093/genetics/110.3.495
Subject(s) - biology , allele frequency , genetic drift , allele , genetics , population , genetic variation , effective population size , selection (genetic algorithm) , population genetics , natural selection , evolutionary biology , demography , gene , artificial intelligence , sociology , computer science
Estimates of allele frequencies at six polymorphic loci were collected over eight generations in two populations of Euphydryas editha. We have estimated, in addition, the effective population size for each generation for both populations with results from mark-recapture and other field data. The variation in allele frequencies generated by random genetic drift was then studied using computer simulations and our direct estimates of effective population size. Substantial differences between observed values and computer-generated expected values assuming drift alone were found for three loci (Got, Hk, Pgi) in one population. These observations are consistent with natural selection in a variable environment.