In a population of wildflowers where the frequency of the red allele c_r is p = 0.7, what is the expected frequency of homozygous red individuals (c_r c_r) under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium?

• A. 0.09
• B. 0.21
• C. 0.49
• D. 0.42

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the allele frequency given in the problem: the frequency of the red allele \(c_r\) is \(p = 0.7\).
2. Recall that under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, the frequency of homozygous individuals for a particular allele is the square of the allele frequency.
3. Write the formula for the frequency of homozygous red individuals: \(\text{frequency of } c_r c_r = p^2\).
4. Substitute the given allele frequency into the formula: \(p^2 = (0.7)^2\).
5. Calculate the value of \(p^2\) to find the expected frequency of homozygous red individuals.