Researchers Studying a Small Milkweed Population Note That Some Plants

Multiple Choice

Researchers studying a small milkweed population note that some plants produce a toxin and other plants do not. They identify the gene responsible for toxin production. One allele (T1) codes for an enzyme that makes the toxin, and another allele (T2) codes for a nonfunctional enzyme that cannot produce the toxin. Heterozygotes produce an intermediate amount of toxin. The researchers measured the abundance of each of the three possible genotypes and compared those numbers to the expected numbers if the population were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Those numbers are shown in the chart.

Based on these data, which answer correctly identifies whether the population is likely in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

A) Yes, the population appears to be in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
B) No, there are more heterozygotes than expected.
C) No, there are more homozygotes than expected.
D) More information is needed to answer this question.