The effect of selection on genetic variability: a simulation study

Abstract

Computer simulations have been done to study the effects of stabilizing and disruptive selection on a polygenic character. The results are reported in terms of three components of genetic variability which represent changes in gene frequencies, departures from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and linkage disequilibrium respectively. Under random mating the first and third components are the most important. The observed changes in gene frequencies are interpreted in the light of previous theoretical work on the stability of equilibria under selection. In addition, large and rapid changes in the genotypic variance result from the generation of linkage disequilibrium under selection; the observed changes are in good agreement with those predicted on theoretical grounds.