Industrial melanism in moths is the existence of high frequencies of melanic (da
ID: 27712 • Letter: I
Question
Industrial melanism in moths is the existence of high frequencies of melanic (dark) morphs in areas which have experienced urbanization and industrialization. In the United Kingdom, with the reduction of use of coal as a fuel in the 1960s, the environment of urban- ized regions became cleaner and paler, and melanic frequency declined in many species. One of the species showing evidence of industrial melanism is the scal- loped hazel Odontoptera bidentata. In the mid-1970s, a population of O. bidentata was composed of 15% melanic and 85% pale individuals. Assuming that the melanic phenotype is determined by a dominant al- lele at a single pigmentation locus, and that individ- uals mate at random within the population, calculate the frequency of the melanic allele. (A) 0.61% (B) 7.8% (C) 15% (D) 39% (E) 92% ---> i got 72.4 so i am doing something wrong.Explanation / Answer
Industrial melanism in moths is the existence of high frequencies of melanic (dark) morphs in areas which have experienced urbanization and industrialization. In the United Kingdom, with the reduction of use of coal as a fuel in the 1960s, the environment of urban- ized regions became cleaner and paler, and melanic frequency declined in many species. One of the species showing evidence of industrial melanism is the scal- loped hazel Odontoptera bidentata. In the mid-1970s,
a population of O. bidentata was composed of
15% melanic
and 85% pale individuals.
P^2 +2pq+q^2=1
P^2+ 2pq =----------- 15% melanic
q^2=85%------------ pale individuals.
q^2=85%------------
q= square root of .85= 0.92
p=1-q=0.08= 8%---------- dominant allele
Assuming that the melanic phenotype is determined by a dominant al- lele at a single pigmentation locus, and that individ- uals mate at random within the population, calculate the frequency of the melanic allele. (A) 0.61%
(B) 7.8%
(C) 15%
(D) 39%
(E) 92