Artificial Selection

Breeding for a purpose

Learning statement
Understand that plants and animals with desired characteristics can be developed by selective breeding.

How would you?

Discuss how you would breed for:
Better quality of milk from cows

The Auroch where all domesticated Meat cattle were bred from

Dairy

Draft

Dogs bred as sighthounds clockwise from top left: Whippet, Borzoi, and Saluki
Can you see the similarities in their anatomy? What physical characteristics do you think were selected?

Dogs bred as herding dogs clockwise from top left Border collie, Lancashire heeler, Rottweiler, Old English Sheepdog
Do you think the characteristics that are bred for are physical or behavioural? Why?

Dogs bred for a purpose

Dogs have been selectively bred for a purpose for 15,000 years Starting with some wolves, dogs were initially bred to help with:
hunting; producing hounds, terriers, and retrievers farming; producing herding dogs and guard dogs

Modern breeding has given us companion dogs and toy dogs whose purpose is to keep us company funnily enough

Artificial selection in plants

Wheat
Tall wheat plants have a high yield, but are easily damaged in wind and rain Dwarf wheat plants have a low yield, but are robust against nasty weather Q: What do you think happened when the two types were cross-bred? A: A dwarf wheat with high yield that was robust! Other types were produced, but they were discarded

In summary
Selective breeding = Artificial selection Has been used for animals and plants The method:
The desired characteristics are identified They are bred together Only the offspring exhibiting the desired characteristics are bred This is repeated over several generations until the desired trait is fully developed

In summary
Problems: Traits are chosen to benefit humans, not the animal
Physical problems often occur in domestic animals eg. Inflammation of the udder (mastisis) in cows due to increased milk production

Usually involves inbreeding, which can lead to reduced genetic diversity

Task
Start a revision poster on selective breeding Include:
How to selectively breed dairy cows and wheat Two other examples of selective breeding Similarities and differences of selective breeding with natural selection

Would it be right to selectively breed humans??

Adolf Hitler believed in a master race (the Aryans) and implemented a plan to create this race. This involved eugenics the selective breeding of humans.

Nazi eugenics
Those considered not worthy of life, - let alone allowed to have children - included (but was not limited to) the criminal, degenerate, dissident, feeble-minded, homosexual, idle, insane, and the weak 400,000 people were sterilised against their will and 70,000 were killed

What do YOU think?