21. Population Genetics

Tay–Sachs disease is an autosomal recessive neurological disorder that is fatal in infancy. Despite its invariably lethal effect, Tay–Sachs disease occurs at very high frequency in some Central and Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish populations. In certain Ashkenazi populations, 1 in 750 infants has Tay–Sachs disease. Population biologists believe the high frequency is a consequence of genetic bottlenecks caused by pogroms (genocide) that have reduced the population multiple times in the past several hundred years. What is a genetic bottleneck?

To increase genetic diversity in the bighorn sheep population described in Problem 23, ten sheep are introduced from a population where the c allele is absent. Assuming that random mating occurs between the original and the introduced sheep, and that the c allele is selectively neutral, what will be the frequency of c in the next generation?

What genetic changes take place during speciation?

List the barriers that prevent interbreeding, and give an example of each.

What are the two groups of reproductive isolating mechanisms? Which of these is regarded as more efficient, and why?

The original source of new alleles, upon which selection operates, is mutation, a random event that occurs without regard to selectional value in the organism. Although many model organisms have been used to study mutational events in populations, some investigators have developed abiotic molecular models. Soll et al. (2006. Genetics 175: 267-275) examined one such model to study the relationship between both deleterious and advantageous mutations and population size in a ligase molecule composed of RNA (a ribozyme). Soll found that the smaller the population of molecules, the more likely it was that not only deleterious mutations but also advantageous mutations would disappear. Why would population size influence the survival of both types of mutations (deleterious and advantageous) in populations?

A number of comparisons of nucleotide sequences among hominids and rodents indicate that inbreeding may have occurred more often in hominid than in rodent ancestry. Bakewell et al. (2007. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. [USA] 104: 7489-7494) suggest that an ancient population bottleneck that left approximately 10,000 humans might have caused early humans to have a greater chance of genetic disease. Why would a population bottleneck influence the frequency of genetic disease?

Evaluate the following pedigree, and answer the questions below for individual IV-1. Is IV-1 an inbred individual? If so, who is/are the common ancestor(s)?

Evaluate the following pedigree, and answer the questions below for individual IV-1. What is F for this individual?

Evaluate the following pedigree, and answer the questions below. Calculate F for any inbred members of this family.

Evaluate the following pedigree, and answer the questions below. Who is/are the common ancestor(s) of the inbred individual(s)?

Evaluate the following pedigree, and answer the questions below. Which individual(s) in this family is/are inbred?

The following is a partial pedigree of the British royal family. The family contains several inbred individuals and a number of inbreeding pathways. Carefully evaluate the pedigree, and identify the pathways and common ancestors that produce inbred individuals A (Alice in generation IV), B (George VI in generation VI), and C (Charles in generation VIII).

Draw a separate hypothetical pedigree identifying the inbred individuals and the inbreeding pathways for each of the following inbreeding coefficients:

F=4(1/2)⁶

Draw a separate hypothetical pedigree identifying the inbred individuals and the inbreeding pathways for each of the following inbreeding coefficients:

F=2(1/2)⁵