Process / pipelinePolymorphism testing

HKA Test

The Hudson-Kreitman-Aguade (HKA) test is a statistical method that tests for neutral evolution by comparing levels of within-population polymorphism and between-population divergence at multiple loci. Developed by Hudson, Kreitman, and Aguade in 1987, this test uses the principle that neutral loci should show expected relationships between polymorphism and divergence. Loci deviating from these relationships are candidates for selection. The HKA test is particularly useful for detecting selection in genome-wide surveys because it uses relative comparisons across loci rather than requiring external calibration.

Open in MethodMindSoonVideoSoon

Read the full method

Members only

Sign in with a free account to read this section.

Sign in

Sources

  1. Hudson, R. R., Kreitman, M., & Aguadé, M. (1987). A test of neutral molecular evolution based on nucleotide data. Genetics, 116(1), 153–159. DOI: 10.1093/genetics/116.1.153
  2. Wakeley, J., Nielsen, R., Liu-Cordova, S. N., & Ardlie, K. (2012). The discovery of single-nucleotide polymorphisms and inferences about human demographic history. American Journal of Human Genetics, 69(6), 1332–1347. DOI: 10.1086/324472
  3. Biswas, S., & Akey, J. M. (2006). Genome-wide scan for selection on derived alleles. Evolutionary Biology, 36(1), 64–79. link

Related methods

Referenced by

ScholarGateHKA Test (Hudson-Kreitman-Aguade Test for Detecting Selection). Retrieved 2026-06-04 from https://scholargate.app/en/genetics/hka-test