Question

The human MN blood group is determined by two codominant alleles, M and N. The following data were obtained from various human populations:

Percentages*

Population

Place

MM

MN

NN

Inuit

East Greenland

83.5

15.6

0.9

Navajo Indians

New Mexico

84.5

14.4

1.1

Finns

Karajala

45.7

43.1

11.2

Russians

Moscow

39.9

44.0

16.1

Aborigines

Queensland

2.4

30.4

67.2

a. Calculate the allele frequencies in these five populations. b. Which populations appear to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium? c. Which populations do you think have had significant intermixing due to migration?

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Note: The table containing the data is attached as a file to this solution.

Also note that the values are given in percentages in the table, the decimal equivalents of those values are used in this calculation.

a)

i) Allele Frequency in the Inuit population

M allele frequency

= 0.835+(0.156/2) = 0.913

N allele frequency

= 0.009 + (0.156/2) = 0.087

ii) Allele frequency in Navojo Indian population

M allele frequency

= 0.845+0.072 = 0.917

N allele frequency

= 0.011+0.072 = 0.083

iii) Allele frequency In Finn population

M allele frequency

= 0.457+0.2155 = 0.6725

N allele frequency

= 0.112+0.2155 = 0.3275

iv)Allele frequency In Russian population

M allele frequency

= 0.399+0.22 = 0.619

N allele frequency

= 0.161+0.22 = 0.381

v) Allele frequency In Aborigines

M allele frequency

= 0.024+0.152 = 0.176

N allele frequency

= 0.672 + 0.152 = 0.824

b)

We can observe that the sum of the frequencies of M and N alleles in each of the populations above is 1. Therefore, all the populations are in Hardy Weinberg's equilibrium.

c)

It can be again observed that the M and N allele frequencies of the Finn and the Russian population are almost the same, then it is safe to say that the Finn and Russian population have had significant intermixing due to migration.