Probability of Extinction under Genetic Drift

Question

Here is the Wright-Fisher model of genetic drift:

$$\frac{(2N)!}{k!(2N-k)!}p^kq^{2N-k} \Leftrightarrow \binom{2N}{k}p^kq^{2N-k}$$

where $\binom{2N}{k}$ is the binomial coefficient.

This formula gives the probability of obtaining $k$ copies of an allele at generation $t+1$ given that there are $p$ copies of this allele at generation $t$. $N$ is the population size and $2N$ is the number of copies of each gene (this model applies to diploid population only).

From this formula, how can we calculate the probability of extinction of an allele in say 120 generations starting at a given frequency, let's say 0.2?

and

How can we calculate the probability of extinction rather than fixation of an allele present at frequency $p$ if we wait an infinite amount of time?

Answer 1

update

The answer is here!

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Original comment/answer

Kimura and Ohta (1969) showed that assuming an initial frequency of $p$, the mean time to fixation $\bar t_1(p)$ is:

$$\bar t_1(p)=-4N\left(\frac{1-p}{p}\right)ln(1-p)$$

similarly they showed that the mean time to loss $\bar t_0(p)$ is

$$\bar t_0(p)=-4N\left(\frac{p}{1-p}\right)ln(p)$$

Combining the two, they found that the mean persistence time of an allele $\bar t(p)$ is given by $\bar t(p) = (1-p)\bar t_0(p) + p\bar t_1(p)$ which equals

$$\bar t(p)=-4N\cdot \left((1-p)\cdot ln(1-p)+p\cdot ln(p)\right)$$

This does not answer any of the two questions!

This answer gives...

• the average persistence time

but not...

• the probability of fixation rather than extinction if we wait an infinite amount of time

neither...

• the probability that the allele get extinct over a period of say 120 generations.

Can someone improve this answer?

Answer 2

Here is a simple proof that the probability of fixation given an infinite time is indeed p (in a finite population, otherwise there will be no fixation): Let's look at all 2N gametes in the population. Eventualy, according to the Wright-Fisher model, only one of them will be represented in the population. The probability for this gamete to be of an allele with initial frequency p is just p. Therefore the probability of fixation is p. Simple.