| Abstract: | Four models of positive and negative assortative mating systems, exclusive or partial, in relation to phenotypes determined by a pair of autosomal alleles with dominance but with incomplete penetrance of the dominant allele in heterozygous state, are presented. By introducing the parameter of incomplete penetrance in the models of assortative matings, matings between individuals with identical genotypes will occur within the negative systems, as well as matings between individuals with different genotypes within the positive assortative mating systems. Thus, incomplete penetrance has the effect of retarding equilibrium on an assortative mating system, making this equilibrium equivalent to a system with a lower degree of assortative mating, where the penetrance equals 1 or 0. Another conclusion of biological interest drawn from the mathematical analysis presented in this paper is that for any value of the penetrance, the frequency of 0.5 for recessive individuals is also typical of exclusive or partial negative assortative mating systems at equilibrium. |
