General Biology II · Module 2 · Population genetics

Population Genetics Lab

Run replicate populations and watch drift, selection, gene flow and mutation move allele frequencies; practise Hardy-Weinberg, chi-square, fitness and gene flow problems with animated worked solutions; match mechanisms and selection modes to examples; and use population genetics in real situations. Nothing here is graded.

Part 1: Allele Frequency Lab

AA (solid violet)Aa (half and half)aa (gold with a ring) No-drift expectation (dashed)One coloured line per replicate population
Simulation readouts
MeasureValue

Model: a Wright-Fisher population of N diploid individuals with non-overlapping generations. Each generation, selection (relative fitness = 1 − s for each genotype), then one-way migration from a source population, then mutation from A to a, then random sampling of 2N alleles to form the next generation (genetic drift). Mating is random. Mutation rates are set far higher than real rates (about 10−5) so their effect is visible. Each panel shows up to 60 individuals; when N is larger, the 60 dots are a sample in the right proportions.