Allele and Phenotype Frequencies in Rock Pocket Mouse Populations

This activity reinforces concepts of variation and natural selection covered in the short film Natural Selection and Adaptation. Students apply the Hardy-Weinberg equation to real data collected on rock pocket mouse populations.

Students begin by watching the film and reviewing the basic principles of the Hardy-Weinberg theorem. They then apply Hardy-Weinberg to data collected by Michael Nachman and his colleagues on the coat color of rock pocket mouse populations in Arizona and New Mexico. In an extension activity, students can use the accompanying spreadsheet to explore how the selection coefficient(s) influences the coat color phenotype of future generations.

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