Artificial Selection

What have these animals been selectively breed for?

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Topic 18 Variation and Selection

Artificial Selection
LO To explain what artificial selection is
How do we make this? Is this ethical? >

What is artificial selection?

What is selective breeding?

Selective breeding is when humans choose certain
animals and plants that have useful features and
breed more of these organisms.

Large fruited
Dad

Large fruited Mum

Very large fruited child!

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

Meat

The Auroch
where all
domesticated
cattle were
bred from

Dair
y

Draft

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

How would you?

Discuss how you would breed for:
Better quality of milk from cows
Increased wool production in sheep

Artificial Selection
1. Humans select individuals with desirable
features (e.g. A cow that produces a lot of milk)
2. These individuals are crossed to produce the
next generation (e.g. A cow that produces a lot
of milk is crossed with a bull whose mother
produced a lot of milk).
3. Offspring who show the desirable features
are selected and crossed over many
generations to improve crop plants and
domesticated animals.

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 background?
The X-MEN are a group
of heroes who possess
super powers due to their
mutations.

elective Breeding

Who are they?

The X-MEN are a group
of heroes who possess
super powers due to their
mutations.

Task background
You will face a
challenge from Magneto,
enemy of the X-MEN.
You will select two X-MEN
to breed together in order
to produce an offspring
suitable to complete
the challenge.

The
Challenge
I have a very complex maze.
Only one mutant may enter.
When the maze has been
completed, the mutant must
read the mind of azazel and
defeat the mighty Juggernaut
in a battle.

Who will you

choose?

The
Challenge
Make sure you draw your XMEN offspring and label their
characteristics.

Who will you

choose?

The
Challenge
Explain how these features
have been passed on from
their parents.

Who will you

choose?

Group Poster Task

What level will you achieve?
Level

Criteria

Two X-MEN have been chosen, with a simple

reason for that choice.
The offspring has been drawn and key features
have been labelled.

Suitable X-MEN have been chosen e.g. Jean

Grey (telepathic powers) and The Beast
(intelligence and strength).

The idea of the sperm and egg joining and

sharing genetic information has been provided.
A demonstration of a knowledge of genetic and
environmental factors that influence selective
breeding

Is it all good news?

Sometimes breeding
between close relatives
makes genetic deformities
more frequent.
British Bulldogs for
example have such large
heads that they are
unable to be born without
Caesarean Section. They
are prone to breathing
difficulties and heart
problems.

Animal farm
Part 1 >
Part 2 >

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)
thecriminal,
degenerate,
dissident,
feeble-minded, homosexual,idle,insane,
and theweak
400,000 people were sterilised against
their will and 70,000 were killed

What do YOU think?