LIMITING DISTRIBUTION UNDER ASSORTATIVE MATING

G. L. Ghai 1

1 Statistical Laboratory, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50010

A multi-locus model for complete positive assortative mating is discussed. For a two-locus model, if the gene frequencies for the two loci are different, as they are likely to be, it is shown that in equilibrium the population is not composed of only two homozygous types, as is usually thought. The limiting distribution will have three homozygous genotypes depending upon the initial gene frequencies. If there are m-loci such that gene frequencies at all loci are different, there will be (m+1) such homozygous genotypes present in the equilibrium population, one in each phenotypic group.

Submitted on October 9, 1972
Revised on July 9, 1973