In: Biology
1) Species with high FST in their native range tend to spread quickly as invasive species. True or false?
2) A marine biologist collects a sample of 200 adult barnacles and determines their genotypes at a locus with 2 alleles (A, a): 60 AA, 120 Aa and 20 aa. The barnacles randomly mate and 100 of their offspring are sampled and genotyped: 36 AA, 48 Aa, 16 aa. She thinks the change in genotypic frequencies is due to natural selection. You're not convinced. Why? 2 pts.
1) False
FST (Fixation index) is a measure of population differentiation due to genetic structure. Species with high FST in the native range tend to spread slowly as compare to invasive species Because FST is the ratio of the total genetic variance contained in a subpopulation to the Total genetic variance. High FST denotes low gene flow as Fst is the average inbreeding of the subpopulations relative to the total population. So when gene flow is low, there are fewer chances of spread of species, whereas if we talk about the Invasive species these are the species that are not native to a place or location where it is growing now. Invasive species tend to spread very quickly and can cause harmful effects to the area of spread.
2)
According to Hardy Weinberg Law:
There will be no change in the genotype and allele frequency until and unless:
1. there is no selection: means selection should be natural, no sexual selection, no artificial selection
2. No migration
3. No drift
4. No mutation
5. No overlapping generation
6. only random mating allowed
According to this, In a population for a character, an example like height has two traits; tall (AA) and dwarf (aa). Considering mating is random and selection is natural, the graph of this should be for Intermediate height (Aa) which is between tall and dwarf, the majority of people should be Intermediate height.
As provided in question:
Total population= 200
AA= 60
Aa= 120
Aa= 20
Frequency of AA genotype= 60/200= 0.3
Frequency of Aa genotype= 120/200= 0.6
Frequency of aa genotype= 20/200= 0.1
Now the frequency:
Total population=100
AA= 36
Aa= 48
Aa= 16
Frequency of AA genotype= 36/100= 0.36
Frequency of Aa genotype= 48/100= 0.48
Frequency of aa genotype= 16/100= 0.16
We can see from both the frequencies that there is an increase in the AA and aa frequencies and a decrease in Aa frequencies. This means even if they are mating randomly, other points are being violated which leads to change in genotype frequency, which could be:
1. Genetic drift
2. Migration
3. Mutation