The answer is A. p2 = 0.36, 2pq = 0.48, q2 = 0.16.
Let's first distinguish alleles frequencies from
genotypes frequencies:
p - a frequency of R allele,
q - a frequency of r allele,
p² - a frequency of RR genotype,
2pq - a frequency of Rr genotype,
q² - a frequency of rr genotype.
The gene frequency of allele r changes from 0.38
to 0.40, thus:
q = 0.40
Now, we will implement this in the following
equation:
p + q = 1
If q = 0.40, then:
p + 0.40 = 1
⇒ p = 1 - 0.40
⇒ p = 0.60
Now, the frequencies of both alleles are know
and it is easy to calculate the genotype frequencies:
- the frequency of RR genotype: p² = 0.60² = 0.36
- the frequency of Rr genotype: 2pq =
2 · 0.60 · 0.40 = 0.48
- the frequency of rr genotype: q² = 0.40² =
0.16
Therefore, the new genotype frequencies in
that population are p2 = 0.36, 2pq = 0.48, q2 = 0.16.