Genetics - Analysis and Principles 3rd Edition by Robert Brooker

Exercise 9

Resistance to the poison warfarin is a genetically determined trait in rats. Homozygotes carrying the resistance allele ( WW ) have a lower fitness because they suffer from vitamin K deficiency, but heterozygotes ( Ww ) do not. However, the heterozygotes are still resistant to warfarin. In an area where warfarin is applied, the heterozygote has a survival advantage. Due to warfarin resistance, the heterozygote is also more fit than the normal homozygote (ww). If the relative fitness values for Ww, WW, and ww individuals are 1.0, 0.37, and 0.19, respectively, in areas where warfarin is applied, calculate the allele frequencies at equilibrium. How would this equilibrium be affected if the rats were no longer exposed to warfarin