Artificial Selection—Humans as Nature’s Designers

 

What is Artificial Selection?

Artificial selection is when humans intentionally choose which organisms reproduce based on desirable traits. Unlike natural selection, which is driven by the environment, artificial selection is all about human choices.

This can also be called selective breeding.

Think of it as customizing traits, like choosing the fluffiest sheep or the tastiest tomatoes!

 

Key Steps in Artificial Selection

1. Selection of Desirable Traits

   • Humans decide which traits are useful or attractive (e.g., faster horses or sweeter fruits).

2. Crossing Individuals

   • Individuals with desirable traits are bred together to produce offspring.

3. Selecting Offspring

   • Offspring that show the desired traits are chosen for further breeding.

4. Repeating Over Generations

   • This process is repeated for many generations until the desired traits are common.

 

Examples of Artificial Selection

Organism	Desired Trait	Outcome
Dogs	Friendliness, strength, speed	Breeds like Golden Retrievers or Greyhounds
Wheat	High yield, pest resistance	Crops that produce more grains
Cows	More milk production	Holstein cows (used for dairy farming)

 

 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial Selection

Advantages	Disadvantages
Produces organisms with specific traits	Reduces genetic diversity
Can improve food production	May lead to inbreeding, causing health issues
Helps humans adapt plants/animals to their needs	Takes a long time to develop new traits

 

Artificial vs. Natural Selection

Feature	Artificial Selection	Natural Selection
Cause	Controlled by humans	Driven by the environment
Speed	Usually faster, depending on human effort	Happens slowly over many generations
Goal	Specific traits chosen (e.g., milk production)	No goal—traits improve survival and reproduction
Example	Corn with bigger kernels	Antibiotic-resistant bacteria