Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Combined Immunofluorescence and DNA FISH on 3D-preserved Interphase Nuclei to Study Changes in 3D Nuclear Organization
Published on: February 3, 2013
Quasi-equilibrium theory for the distribution of rare alleles in a subdivided population: justification and
1Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA.
Abstract:
This paper examines a quasi-equilibrium theory of rare alleles for subdivided populations that follow an island-model version of the Wright-Fisher model of evolution. All mutations are assumed to create new alleles. We present four results: (1) conditions for the theory to apply are formally established using properties of the moments of the binomial distribution; (2) approximations currently in the literature can be replaced with exact results that are in better agreement with our simulations; (3) a modified maximum likelihood estimator of migration rate exhibits the same good performance on island-model data or on data simulated from the multinomial mixed with the Dirichlet distribution, and (4) a connection between the rare-allele method and the Ewens Sampling Formula for the infinite-allele mutation model is made. This introduces a new and simpler proof for the expected number of alleles implied by the Ewens Sampling Formula.
Related Concept Videos
What is Population Genetics?
Hardy-Weinberg Principle
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
Law of Segregation
Genetics of Speciation
Genetic Drift

