Genetic Drift of rare neutral alleles in multiple populations
(N = 50, q0 = 0.05; W0 = W1 = W2 = 1)
In each of 100 populations with a
single new neutral allele, set N = 50 so
there are 2N = 100 alleles, with initial f(B)
= q0 = 0.05. A
majority of population replicates go to loss (q = 0)
before 50 generations: five go to fixation (q = 1)
within 300 generations. In the absence of selection, for a
population with f(B) = q0
, the expectation of fixation per population
by genetic drift is also q. Note that in the last population that goes to fixation,
q has fluctuated widely over time, above and below
0.5.
Figure & Text material © 2025 by Steven M. Carr