In those parts of equatorial Africa where the malaria parasite is most common, the sickle-cell allele constitutes 20% of the β hemoglobin alleles in the human gene pool.
Considering the overall human population of the U.S. mainland at the time when the slave trade brought large numbers of people from equatorial Africa, what was primarily acting to change the frequency of the sickle-cell allele in the overall U.S. population?

Gene flow, in simple terms, is a transfer of gene from one population to another. Also called as migration, where there is movement of individuals, and the genetic material they carry from one population to another. It also involves successful breeding of these individuals in their new locations. When people with sickle cell anemia were brought into the US, transfer of the gene responsible for sickle cell disease changed the frequency of the sickle cell allele in overall US population.

luisvaschetto luisvaschetto · Answer 2 · 2021-12-01T14:01:38+01:00

The GENE FLOW was primarily acting to change the frequency of the sickle-cell allele in the overall U.S. population.

The sickle-cell allele is associated with higher resistance to malaria, thereby the frequency of this allele is high in geographic regions where malaria is endemic.

However, in regions where malaria is not endemic, this allele is not advantageous, thereby it will progressively decrease its frequency in these regions.

Gene flow refers to the movement of variants of genes (i.e., alleles) inside and outside a given population.

This movement (gene flow) may be caused by the migration of organisms that reproduce in the new location, thereby increasing the frequency of the allele they carry in the new population.

In conclusion, GENE FLOW was primarily acting to change the frequency of the sickle-cell allele in the overall U.S. population.

Learn more in:

https://brainly.com/question/9035093