Question

What is the effective population size if you have 50 males and 100 females in a population? Assume random mating, no selection, mutation, or migration, and round to the nearest whole number.

1) 144
2) 133
3) 122
4) 111

Answer 1

The effective population size with 50 males and 100 females, under the assumptions of random mating and no selection, mutation, or migration, is 133, corresponding to option 2).

Step-by-step explanation:

The effective population size, also known as Ne, can be calculated using the following formula: Ne = (4 * Nm * Nf) / (Nm + Nf), where Nm is the number of males and Nf is the number of females in the population.

In this case, with 50 males and 100 females, the formula becomes Ne = (4 * 50 * 100) / (50 + 100), which simplifies to Ne = (20000) / (150), resulting in Ne = 133.33, which we round to the nearest whole number.

This calculation assumes random mating, no selection, mutation, or migration, conditions which are often outlined in Hardy-Weinberg principles. Hence, the effective population size would be 133, which aligns with option 2).

In this case, Nm = 50 and Nf = 100. Plugging these values into the formula, we get Ne = (4 * 50 * 100) / (50 + 100) = 133.33.

Rounding to the nearest whole number, the effective population size is 133.