In a large population of bonobos, the frequency of the recessive allele is initially 0.1. There is no migration and no selection. What is the frequency of the dominant allele? Assume that there are two alleles of this gene.

• A. 0.1
• B. 0.2
• C. 0.5
• D. 0.99
• E. 0.9

Answer: (E)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that in a population with two alleles, the sum of the frequencies of the dominant and recessive alleles must equal 1.
2. Let p represent the frequency of the dominant allele and q represent the frequency of the recessive allele.
3. According to the problem, the frequency of the recessive allele (q) is given as 0.1.
4. Use the equation p + q = 1 to find the frequency of the dominant allele. Substitute q = 0.1 into the equation.
5. Solve for p by rearranging the equation: p = 1 - q. Substitute the value of q to find p.