Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium will not occur in a population in which which condition?

• A. Individuals with certain genotypes have higher reproductive success than others.
• B. There is no mutation and no migration.
• C. There is no natural selection and allele frequencies are equal.
• D. Mating is random and the population is very large.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium describes a theoretical state where allele and genotype frequencies in a population remain constant from generation to generation, assuming no evolutionary forces act on the population.
2. Recall the five main conditions required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium: no mutation, no migration, no natural selection, random mating, and a very large population size.
3. Analyze each condition given in the problem to see if it violates any of the Hardy-Weinberg assumptions. For example, if individuals with certain genotypes have higher reproductive success, this implies natural selection is occurring.
4. Recognize that natural selection changes allele frequencies by favoring some genotypes over others, which disrupts Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.
5. Conclude that the condition where individuals with certain genotypes have higher reproductive success prevents Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium from occurring.