Analyses of gene frequencies of mates

Abstract

A genic analysis of variance of data on mate pairs for a codominant gene is developed. This analysis provides estimators of the correlation, F, of genes within individuals, of the correlation, theta, of genes between mates, and of various variances, all relative to the correlation or variation among genes of nonmates. The data are manipulated into marginal distributions to produce another method of obtaining the same estimators. Several examples are given of how assumptions about the model and parameters modify the estimators and which were utilized in constructing chi2 tests of hypotheses concerning F and theta. A recessive gene is also considered. Only the frequency of recessive genotypes and the correlation of recessive mates are estimable in this case unless one makes very demanding assumptions about the model. Numerical examples of the analysis of variance and estimators are given for both a codominant and recessive gene.