Estimation of Divergence from Hardy-Weinberg Form

Abstract

The Hardy-Weinberg (HW) principle explains how random mating (RM) can produce and maintain a population in equilibrium, that is, with constant genotypic proportions. When proportions diverge from HW form, it is of interest to estimate the fixation index F, which reflects the degree of divergence. Starting from a sample of genotypic counts, a mixed procedure gives first the orthodox estimate of gene frequency q and then a Bayesian estimate of F, based on a credible prior distribution of F, which is described here.