What would disrupt the conditions required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

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Question restatement: What would disrupt the conditions required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

Option 1: Absence of selection pressure. In Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, one of the conditions is that there is no natural selection acting on the alleles. If there is an absence of selection pressure, that condition is satisfied, not disrupted. Therefore this option does not cause disruption and is not the correct choice.

Option 2: Random mating. Random mating is another key condition of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. When individuals mate randomly, allele combinations are redistributed according to genotype frequencies, maintaining equilibrium. Thus, random mating would not disrupt the equilibrium; it supports it.

Option 3: Small population size. This is a classic disruptor of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. In small populations, genetic drift can cause random fluctuations in allele frequencies from generation to generation, leading to deviations from the expected p^2, 2pq, q^2 proportions. This violates the large-population assumption and is a primary source of disruption to equilibrium.

Option 4: Absence of mutations. If there are no mutations, the genetic variation is not being introduced anew, which aligns with one of the equilibrium conditions. While insufficient mutations per se may not always cause immediate disruption, the absence of mutations does not inherently disrupt Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium; it simply maintains the existing alleles without creating new ones. Therefore this option does not describe a disruptor.

Summary: Among the options, only small population size introduces genetic drift that alters allele frequencies and breaks the conditions required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, making it the correct disruptor to note.

AGRI10051_2025_SM2 Supplementary or Special Exam: Genetics for Agriculture (AGRI10051_2025_SM2)- Requires Respondus LockDown Browser

What would disrupt the conditions required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

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