Multiple choice

Which statement about allele frequencies is not true?

  1. The sum of any set of allele frequencies is always 1.

  2. If there are two alleles at a locus and we know the frequency of one of them, we can obtain the frequency of the other by subtraction.

  3. If an allele is missing from a population, its frequency is 0.

  4. If two populations have the same allele frequencies at a locus, they must have the same proportion of homozygotes at that locus.
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D Correct answer
Explanation

Allele frequencies always sum to 1, and if there are two alleles, knowing one frequency gives the other. A missing allele has frequency 0. However, two populations can have identical allele frequencies but different homozygote proportions because the frequencies themselves don't determine homozygosity - you need to know whether the population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium to make that calculation.

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