Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Isolation of Fidelity Variants of RNA Viruses and Characterization of Virus Mutation Frequency
Published on: June 16, 2011
The maintenance of single-locus polymorphism. I. Numerical studies of a viability selection model
1Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, California 94305.
Abstract:
The ability of viability selection to maintain single-locus polymorphism is investigated with two models in which the population is bombarded with a series of mutations with random fitnesses. In the first model, the population is allowed to reach equilibrium before mutation resumes; in the second the iterations and mutation occur simultaneously. Monte Carlo simulations of these models show that viability selection is easily able to maintain stable 6- or 7-allele polymorphisms and that monomorphisms and diallelic polymorphisms are uncommon. The question of how monomorphisms arise is also discussed.
Related Concept Videos
Types of Selection
Frequency-dependent Selection
Hardy-Weinberg Principle
Mutation, Gene Flow, and Genetic Drift
Genetics of Speciation
Genetic Variation
Genes exist in different versions called alleles, which...

