The difference between fitness of a given genotype and another genotype considered optimal is called the selection coefficient (s).
What is the selection coefficient for a genotype (aa) that produces an average of 99 offspring when Aa individuals produce an average of 100 offspring?
To calculate the selection coefficient (s), you need to compare the fitness of the given genotype (aa) to the fitness of another genotype considered optimal. In this case, we are comparing the fitness of aa individuals (99 offspring) to Aa individuals (100 offspring).
The formula to calculate the selection coefficient is as follows:
s = (Wopt - Wgenotype) / Wopt
Where:
- s is the selection coefficient
- Wopt is the fitness of the optimal genotype
- Wgenotype is the fitness of the given genotype
In this scenario, the fitness of the optimal genotype is Wopt = 100 offspring, and the fitness of the given genotype (aa) is Wgenotype = 99 offspring. Plugging these values into the formula:
s = (100 - 99) / 100 = 0.01
Therefore, the selection coefficient for the genotype aa is 0.01.