BRAINCAKENon-Random Mating
The Hardy-Weinberg principle assumes random mating: every individual is equally likely to mate with any individual of the opposite sex, whatever its genotype. In real populations this is rarely true.
Non-random mating happens when individuals choose mates, or are more likely to mate with some individuals than others. Common forms are:
Sexual selection: individuals (often females) choose mates with particular features, such as brighter plumage or larger antlers, or males compete for access to mates. Individuals with the favoured phenotype produce more offspring, so the alleles responsible increase in frequency. The long tail of the male peacock is a classic example.
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Key terms in this lesson
- allele frequency
- The proportion of all the alleles of a gene in a population that are a particular allele.
- genotype frequency
- The proportion of individuals in a population that have a particular genotype.
More in Gene Pools
- Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium
- Hardy Weinberg Equation
- Conditions of the Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium
- Mutations
- Different Sized Populations
- Isolation
- Selection Pressure
- Population Bottlenecks
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