1. Artificial Selection

2. For thousands of years, humans have been carefully selecting and breeding certain plants and animals that have desirable traits.

3. Artificial selection – practice by which humans breed specific plants or animals for desired traits. Also called selective breeding.

4. Advantages of Artificial Selection
Certain traits that are useful to humans stay in the population
disease resistance,
strength,
calmness,
more lean meat,
more milk production

5. The auroch (ancient bovine, all modern english breeds derived from
angus
hereford
holstein
dwarf angus
brahma
CATTLE:
Selectively bred for meat or milk.

6. bred for pulling, hunting, and protection
DOG:
bred for pulling, hunting, and protection
wolf
chihuahua
great dane
greyhound
pitbull
bassett hound

7. bred for pulling, riding, meat, and milk
HORSE:
bred for pulling, riding, meat, and milk
Prezwalski’s horse
miniature
quarter horse
arabian
Tennessee walker
shire

8. bred for pest control and companionship
CAT:
bred for pest control and companionship
African wild cat
Maine coon
devon rex
persian
Scottish fold
munchkin

9. CORN: bred for larger kernel and ear size

10. WILD CABBAGE: bred for food
brussel sprouts
kale
collard greens
broccoli
cauliflower

12. Disadvantages of Selective Breeding
Breeding for only one trait, over all others, can cause problems.

13. Selective Breeding…gone too far???

14. Selective Breeding and Natural Selection
The main difference between natural selection and selective breeding is human involvement.
In natural selection, the reproduction of organisms with certain traits is attributed to improved survival or reproductive ability (survival of the fittest).
In artificial selection, humans favor specific traits and control breeding for those traits.