126k views
2 votes
Why does lack of HWE mean evolution is happening?

User Tal Levi
by
7.8k points

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

Lack of Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium indicates that evolution is taking place in a population due to factors like genetic drift, mutation, migration, and natural selection, which cause changes in allele frequencies.

Step-by-step explanation:

Lack of Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE) implies that evolution is happening because the equilibrium conditions specify that allele and genotype frequencies in a population will remain constant from one generation to the next in the absence of evolutionary forces. The key forces that disrupt HWE and lead to evolution include genetic drift, mutation, migration, and selection. Any deviation from the expected genetic composition as predicted by the Hardy-Weinberg equation indicates that some form of evolutionary change is occurring within the population. The equation p² + 2pq + q² = 1, where 'p' represents the frequency of the dominant allele and 'q' the frequency of the recessive allele, provides a framework for understanding these changes. Therefore, when actual allele frequencies do not correspond to expected frequencies under HWE, it suggests evolution is at play.

User Ross Smith II
by
7.4k points