In a population of squirrels, if 64% exhibit a bushy tail, what is the frequency of the dominant allele for bushy tails?

To determine the frequency of the dominant allele for bushy tails in the squirrel population, we can use the Hardy-Weinberg principle, which provides a model for understanding genetic variation in a population at equilibrium.

In this scenario, the phenotype exhibiting bushy tails is dominant, and 64% of the population shows this characteristic. To find the frequency of the dominant allele, it's helpful to denote the frequency of the dominant allele (let’s call it "p") and the frequency of the recessive allele (let’s call it "q"). According to the Hardy-Weinberg principle:

• The frequency of the dominant phenotype (both homozygous dominant and heterozygous) can be represented by the equation: p² + 2pq = frequency of dominant phenotype (in this case, bushy tails).
• The frequency of the recessive phenotype (homozygous recessive) is given by q².

Since the sum of the frequencies of the alleles in the population must equal 1, we also have the equation: p + q = 1.

First, we can find the frequency of the recessive phenotype (those without bushy tails) by subtracting the frequency of the dominant phenotype from 100%: