The relative proportion of homozygotes and heterozygotes in a population is affected by what type of mating?

Non-random mating significantly impacts the relative proportions of homozygotes and heterozygotes within a population. This type of mating occurs when individuals select mates based on specific traits or genetic similarities rather than choosing partners at random. When individuals mate preferentially with those who share similar phenotypes or genotypes, it can lead to an increase in homozygosity, as like pairs are more likely to produce offspring that are also homozygous for those traits.

In contrast, random mating typically results in a balanced distribution of genotype frequencies, meaning that heterozygotes would remain abundant in the population. Assortative mating, a form of non-random mating, leads to increases in homozygotes for traits that are being selected, while disassortative mating tends to promote heterozygosity due to a preference for mating individuals with different traits. Both of these are subsets of non-random mating but are more specific in their effects. Thus, overall, non-random mating encompasses any mating strategy that alters the expected ratios of genotypes in a population, clearly influencing the balance between homozygotes and heterozygotes.