Red short-horned cattle are homozygous for the red allele, white cattle are homozygous for the white allele, and roan cattle are heterozygotes. Population A consists of 36% red, 16% white, and 48% roan cattle. What are the allele frequencies?

The answer to the question is;

Red = 0.6, White = 0.4

Step-by-step explanation:

To solve the question, we note that an homozygous gene has two allele of the same type while an heterozygous gene has two different allele in its gene

Therefore we have

Let the red allele be R,

Let the white allele be W,

Therefore we have the heterozygous given by RW while

The red short horned cattle are RR and

the white cattle carry the genes WW

Since the population A consists of 36 % red, 16 % white, and 48 % roan,

we have RR = 36 %

WW = 16 %

RW = 48 %

That is there are in 100 % 36 RR (2 Reds), 16 WW (2 Whites) and 48 RW (48 each Red and White)

Total Red allele = 2*36 + 48 = 120

and total White allele = 2*16 + 48 = 80

That is the frequency of the Red allele = 120 / (120+80) = 120/200

= 0.6

the frequency of the White allele = 80 / (120+80) = 80/200 = 0.4