Question

According to Hardy-Weinberg principle, allele and genotype frequencies in a population will remain constant from generation to generation in the absence of other evolutionary influences. It makes several assumptions which were given below.
i. Random Mating
ii. Sexual Reproduction
iii. Non-overlapping Generations
iv. Occurrence of Natural Selection
v. Small size of population

Identify two assumptions which are not needed for a population to reach Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium?

• A. iv and v
• B. ii and iv
• C. iii, iv and v
• D. i, ii and iii

Answer 1

The correct option is A iv and v

Occurrence of natural selection and small size of population do not needed for a population to reach Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium. For Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to be reached, natural selection should not be occurring. If populations are undergoing natural selection at the locus under consideration, allele frequencies will be changing in a specific direction and continuously, Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium predicts that allele frequencies will stay constant. It assumes that population size is very large, small size does not allow equilibrium.