Population Genetics Simulation
Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium Modeling
Explore how allele frequencies change in a population under different evolutionary forces. Observe the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and how it breaks when conditions are not met.
Population Ready
Generation: 0
p (A)
0.5
q (a)
0.5
AA
25%
Aa
50%
aa
25%
Observation:
A new population has been created with equal allele frequencies (p = q = 0.5). Click "Next Generation" to see how the population evolves.
The Science Behind Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
Key Concepts:
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium describes a theoretical population where allele frequencies remain constant from generation to generation when:
- No mutations occur
- No natural selection occurs
- The population is infinitely large
- Mating is random
- No gene flow occurs
Equations:
For alleles A (frequency p) and a (frequency q):
p + q = 1
Expected genotype frequencies:
AA = p², Aa = 2pq, aa = q²
Evolutionary Forces:
When the equilibrium conditions are violated, allele frequencies change:
- Natural selection: Certain genotypes have higher fitness
- Mutation: Introduces new alleles
- Gene flow: Migration changes allele frequencies
- Genetic drift: Random changes in small populations
