Elmira College Campus Cat Population Study:

Hardy-Wienberg Equilibrium, Founder Effect and Genetic Drift

Rebeka Raven
BIO 3110.01, Genetics
Professor Fontaine
11 April 2014

Lab 7: Elmira College Campus Cat Population Study, 2

Abstract:
The purpose of this experiment was to prove that large populations mimic HardyWeinberg Equilibrium, and a sub-population will show a drift in allelic frequencies due to the
founder effect. 613 cats were studied from a random sample of Elmira College students and 23
cats were studied from faculty in Kolker Hall of Elmira College. The alleles studied were hair
length, presence of white hair, and the presence of orange hair. Using the Hardy-Weinberg
equation, p2+2pq+q2=1, the allele frequencies for both the dominant and the recessive phenotype
were found. A chi-squared analysis was done by comparing the Elmira College Student
population to the nation allele frequencies and another chi-squared analysis was done by
comparing the Kolker Hall Faculty frequencies to the Elmira College Student Population. By
doing this, Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium, genetic drift, and the founder effect were observed and
the overall hypothesis was accepted due to the expected low and high deviations of the Elmira
population and the Kolker population respectively.
Introduction:
Genetic variation over time can tell a lot about a population and the reproductive fitness
among the various species. A population is a group of potentially interbreeding organisms [1].
With this being said, not every organism has the same potential to reproduce. Inbreeding within a
small population can lead to minor genetic variations and tend to a high frequency of lethal
recessive phenotypes [1],[2]. When a large genetic variation is present, this indicates that the
population is healthy due to the active outbreeding[2]. These genetic variations lead to changes in
allele and genotype frequencies over time due to selection, migration, and mutations, leading to
genetic drift by random sampling [1]. Population genetics uses the phenotypic information found

Lab 7: Elmira College Campus Cat Population Study, 3

from genetic variation to determine the allele and genotypic frequencies within a population. If
the population is non-evolving, the frequencies will not change [1]. The Hardy-Weinberg
equation, p2+2pq+q2=1, can be used to determine these frequencies. In this equation, p2 is the
homozygous dominant phenotypic frequency, 2pq is the heterozygous frequency, and q2 is the
homozygous recessive phenotypic frequency [1],[2]. If a population is in Hardy-Weinberg
Equilibrium, it is assumed that the population is infinite, there is random mating, there is no
mutation, there is no selection, and there in no migration[1]. However, natural populations do not
act this way [1]. Genetic frequencies are altered by selection, mutation and migration over time,
adding new variations continuously.
A large population can show an apparent Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium for certain traits[2].
When the larger population is broken down into small population groups, no correlation may be
evident, due to the founder effect, but there is and overall trait relationship present. Using the
information gathered from a random large population of cats, certain traits can be examined to
determine the likelihood of genetic drift and variation. When the larger population is broken
down into a smaller sub-population, the relationships between allelic frequencies will differ[3].
This experiment looked at the phenotypic data of cats from a large population of Elmira College
students and compared to the national population. A smaller population of cats from Elmira
College Faculty in Kolker Hall was then compared to the phenotypic data from the larger Elmira
College population. Allelic frequencies of hair length, presence of white hair, and presence of
orange hair, were examined in order to make conclusions about the founder affect and elative
genetic drift. The large population of Elmira College Students cats should show a similar allelic
frequency with the national average, where the Kolker Facultys cats will show a major
difference due to the founder effect.

Lab 7: Elmira College Campus Cat Population Study, 4

Materials and Methods:

Campus cat data was collected from a random set of Elmira College students and faculty.
Each student in the class was assigned a dormitory and the data was pooled together as a class.
636 cats were tallied in a chart of traits by gender, hair length, presence of all white hair, and
presence of orange hair (613 student cats and 23 faculty cats). Once the cats were counted, the
Hardy-Weinberg equation, p2+2pq+q2=1, was used to find the allele frequencies for each traits.
Once the allele frequencies were found for both p and q of the Elmira Students Cat Group, the 2
value was found for each trait by comparing to the nationally reported allelic frequencies. From
this information the probabilities of each 2 was found. Using the Elmira Students Cat group
once more, the 2 was found by comparing to the Kolker Faculty allele frequencies. From these
values, conclusions about genetic drift and the founder effect could be made.

Lab 7: Elmira College Campus Cat Population Study, 5

Results:
Table 1: Traits of Cats of Elmira College Students
Trait
Male
Female
Long Hair
Short Hair
All White
Not All White
Orange Male
Orange Female
Orange and Black
Female
Non-Orange Male
Non-Orange Female
Trait
Male
Female
Long Hair
Short Hair
All White
Not All White
Orange Male
Orange Female
Orange and Black
Female
Non-Orange Male
Non-Orange Female

Number of Cats
302
311
141
472
40
573
71
35
59
200
208
Number of Cats
10
16
4
19
2
21
2
2
0
8
9

Table 2: Traits of Cats of Kolker Faculty

Table 3: Equations Used to Calculate Allelic Frequencies

Hardy-Weinberg
Chi Squared

p2+2pq+q2=1
p+q=1
2=(

(observedexpected )

expected

Table 4: Allelic Frequencies of Cats of Elmira Students

Hair Length
p= Short
q= Long
White Hair
p= All White
q=Not White
Orange Hair

p2

2pq

q2

National Average

0.52

0.480

0.270

0.500

0.230

L (p) =0.50
l (q) =0.50

1.31

0.20-0.30

0.967

0.001

0.064

0.935

W (p) =0.03
w (q) =0.97

0.31

0.50-0.80

0.825

0.031

0.289

0.680

0
0.03
3
0.17
5

Table 4 shows allelic frequencies of cats of Elmira College student with a chi-squared
analysis compared to the national averages. The hair length allele frequency showed a
1.31 deviation from the national average with a 0.520 frequency for short hair and a
0.480 frequency for long hair. This compares to the 0.500 frequency for short hair and a
0.500 frequency for long hair declared by the national average. This trait shows a

probability between 0.20 and 0.30. The white hair allele frequency showed a 0.31
deviation from the national average with a 0.033 frequency for all white hair and a 0.967
frequency for not all white hair. This compares to the 0.030 frequency for all white hair
and a 0.970 frequency for not all white hair declared by the national average. This trait
shows a probability between 0.50 and 0.80. Both of these traits can be accepted by the
hypothesis due to the expected low deviation

Table 5: Allelic Frequencies of Cats of Kolker Hall Faculty

Hair Length

p
0.583

q
0.417

p2
0.340

2pq
0.486

q2
0.174

2
13.38

p
<0.01

White Hair
Orange Hair

0.044
0.130

0.955
0.870

0.002
0.017

0.085
0.226

0.913
0.757

3.64

0.05-0.10

Table 5 shows allelic frequencies of cats of Kolker Hall faculty with a chi-squared
analysis using the student cat population with the frequencies found in the cats of the
Kolker faculty. The hair length allele frequency showed a 13.38 deviation from the
Elmira Student average with a 0.583 frequency for short hair and a 0.417 frequency for
long hair. This compares to the 0.520 frequency for short hair and a 0.580 frequency for
long hair declared by the Elmira Student population average. This trait shows a
probability less than 0.01. The white hair allele frequency showed a 3.64 deviation from
the Elmira Student average with a 0.044 frequency for all white hair and a 0.955
frequency for not all white hair. This compares to the 0.033 frequency for all white hair

and a 0.967 frequency for not all white hair declared by the Elmira Student average. This
trait shows a probability between 0.05 and 0.10. Both of these traits can be accepted by
the hypothesis due to the expected high deviation.
Conclusion:
This experiment was ran to prove that the large population of Elmira College Students cats
should show a similar allelic frequency with the national average, where the Kolker Facultys
cats will show a major difference due to the founder effect. The allele frequencies of both hair
length and white hair of the Elmira College Student population correlated with national averages
with a justified probability rate. The Kolker Faculty population however showed for both alleles,
that there was a large change in allele frequencies as compared to the Elmira College Student
population. The Kolker Faculty population had very low probabilities. Both of these outcomes
were predicted by the hypothesis. Because some traits reflect a Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium in
high populations, the traits examined by the Elmira College Student (ECS) population showed
just that. This can also be compared to the idea of the founder effect. When a small population is
created from a larger population, there is a factor of random selection, creating a loss of genetic
variation[3]. This explains why there was a high deviation when the allelic frequencies of the
Kolker Faculty (KF) population were calculated. Also because of the small size of the KF
population, genetic drift is more likely to occur [3]. One mutation in a small population could
change the allele frequency drastically. Overall, the two populations follow the theories of
population genetics. Because he ECS population mimics Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, is
assumed that the population is infinite, there is random mating, there is no mutation, there is no
selection, and there in no migration can be assumed to a degree [1],[2]. The hypothesis that Elmira
College Students cats should show a similar allelic frequency with the national average, and the

Kolker Facultys cats will show a major difference due to the founder effect was proven accurate
in this experiment.

References:
[1] Klug, W. S. (2012). Concepts of genetics. San Francisco: Pearson Education.
[2] Meekins, J. (2014). Lab 7: Elmira College campus cat population study: Hardy-Weinberg
equilibrium, founder effect, and genetic drift.
[3] O'Neil, D. (1997-2014). Modern Theories of Evolution: Small Population Effects. Retrieved
from http://anthro.palomar.edu/synthetic/synth_5.htm