The exercise involves investigating the genotypic frequencies of a fox population. Each fox in the population carries two alleles, which can be either brown fur (B) or white fur (b).
To calculate the genotypes that would be expected in the population, you would need to consider the principles of Mendelian genetics and the rules of allele combinations. The possible genotypes in this scenario would be:
1. BB: Homozygous dominant genotype, where both alleles are brown fur.
2. Bb: Heterozygous genotype, where one allele is brown fur and the other allele is white fur.
3. bb: Homozygous recessive genotype, where both alleles are white fur.
To determine the expected genotypic frequencies, you would need to know the allele frequencies in the population. If the allele frequencies are known, you can use the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation to calculate the expected genotypic frequencies:
p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1
where:
p = frequency of the dominant allele (B)
q = frequency of the recessive allele (b)
By substituting the known allele frequencies into the equation, you can calculate the expected genotypic frequencies.
After calculating the expected genotypic frequencies, you can compare them to the observed data to assess whether they align or deviate from each other. This analysis helps in understanding the genetic makeup of the fox population and whether it follows the predictions based on Mendelian genetics.
Remember, the specific details and data needed for the calculations may vary depending on the exercise or information provided. It is important to carefully read and analyze the instructions given in the exercise to perform accurate calculations and make appropriate comparisons.