Estimating the Effective Number of Breeders From Heterozygote Excess in Progeny

Corresponding author: Gordon Luikart, Laboratoire de Biologie des Populations d’Altitude, CNRS, UMR 5553, Université Joseph Fourier, F-38041 Grenoble, Cedex 9, France., gluikart{at}ujf-grenoble.fr (E-mail)

Communicating editor: G. B. GOLDING

The heterozygote-excess method is a recently published method for estimating the effective population size (N_e). It is based on the following principle: When the effective number of breeders (N_eb) in a population is small, the allele frequencies will (by chance) be different in males and females, which causes an excess of heterozygotes in the progeny with respect to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium expectations. We evaluate the accuracy and precision of the heterozygote-excess method using empirical and simulated data sets from polygamous, polygynous, and monogamous mating systems and by using realistic sample sizes of individuals (15–120) and loci (5–30) with varying levels of polymorphism. The method gave nearly unbiased estimates of N_eb under all three mating systems. However, the confidence intervals on the point estimates of N_eb were sufficiently small (and hence the heterozygote-excess method useful) only in polygamous and polygynous populations that were produced by <10 effective breeders, unless samples included > ~60 individuals and 20 multiallelic loci.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. A. Beaumont Estimation of Population Growth or Decline in Genetically Monitored Populations Genetics, July 1, 2003; 164(3): 1139 - 1160. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Wang and M. C. Whitlock Estimating Effective Population Size and Migration Rates From Genetic Samples Over Space and Time Genetics, January 1, 2003; 163(1): 429 - 446. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P. Berthier, M. A. Beaumont, J.-M. Cornuet, and G. Luikart Likelihood-Based Estimation of the Effective Population Size Using Temporal Changes in Allele Frequencies: A Genealogical Approach Genetics, February 1, 2002; 160(2): 741 - 751. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Vitalis and D. Couvet Estimation of Effective Population Size and Migration Rate From One- and Two-Locus Identity Measures Genetics, February 1, 2001; 157(2): 911 - 925. [Abstract] [Full Text]