The probability distribution of the amount of an individual's genome surviving to the following generation

Abstract

The probability that at least p% of an individual's genome is passed on collectively to his children is calculated. With data availability the consideration of the chromosome as a whole rather than discrete loci becomes of increasing practical importance. Assuming the genomic continuum model, which allows for recombination, the crossover process in a chromosome pedigree is viewed as a continuous-time Markov random walk on the vertices of a hypercube with time parameter map distance along the chromosome. The desired probability corresponds to the probability of sojourn times of the process in a small set of vertices, which are well approximated via the Poisson clumping heuristic. Results are given for the human genome. It is very likely that an individual with at least four children passes on at least 90% of his genome. There exists no "equivalent" number of independently segregating loci for this distribution.