In a population of flowers growing in a meadow, C1 and C2 are autosomal codominant alleles that control flower color. The alleles are polymorphic in the population, with f(C₁) = 0.80 and f(C₂) = 0.20. Flowers that are C₁C₁ are yellow, orange flowers are C₁C₂, and C₂C₂ flowers are red. A storm blows a new species of hungry insects into the meadow, and they begin to eat yellow and orange flowers but not red flowers. The predation exerts strong natural selection on the flower population, resulting in relative fitness values of C₁C₁ = 0.30, C₁C₂ = 0.60, and C₂C₂ = 1.0. What are the equilibrium frequencies of C₁ and C₂ if predation continues?

Key Concepts

Codominance

Codominance is a genetic scenario where two different alleles at a locus are both expressed in the phenotype of a heterozygote. In this case, the alleles C1 and C2 produce distinct flower colors: C1C1 results in yellow, C1C2 in orange, and C2C2 in red. Understanding codominance is crucial for predicting how these alleles will interact in a population under selective pressures.

Natural Selection

Natural selection is the process by which certain traits become more or less common in a population based on their impact on survival and reproduction. In this scenario, the predation of yellow and orange flowers by insects leads to differential survival rates among the flower genotypes, affecting their frequencies in the population. This concept is essential for understanding how environmental pressures can shape genetic variation over time.

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium describes a theoretical state in which allele frequencies in a population remain constant from generation to generation in the absence of evolutionary influences. However, when natural selection occurs, as seen with the predation on certain flower colors, the equilibrium is disrupted, and allele frequencies will change. This concept is vital for calculating the new equilibrium frequencies of alleles C1 and C2 after selection.