Thursday, July 8, 2010
Artificial selection @ 1:05 AM
To start off this post, what does artificial selection really mean? Artificial selection is only a scientific term used to describe the breeding of plants and animals. These are used to favor different traits of an animal or a plant but are not necessarily for their their own needs to survive better in the wild. Just as they breed cows to produce more milk and more meat selectively through artificial selection. This is also known as selective breeding and unnatural selection. This process called artificial selection began thousands and thousands of years ago, and till today the process of artificial selection is still improving. As years and years go on, the crops and animals we produce now are from evolved plants and animals through artificial selection.
The results of artificial selection is very noticeable and almost all the animals that we now artificially select doesn't look anything alike from their ancestors. For example, the Grey Wolf has been artificially selected in order to emphasize the less-aggressive traits of the canines, becoming a bulldog, collie, dachshund and other different types of dogs.
Artificially breeding certain animals to attain the desirable traits that people want can be very useful but the use of this process has sometimes gone over the line. People have been breeding closely related animals to have a better chance of getting their desired traits from the animals. This is being done because some animals may acquire traits that most or all animals don't; therefore making the people breed closely related animals. The process of inbreeding are one of the potential dangers of too much artificial selection because this can cause a defect or genetic disorders to the animals. Selectively breeding animals can also essentially reduce the variation of the animal population.
Artificial selection also occurs with plants and has successfully evolved. Plants like the "Brassica oleracea" has been artificially selected successfully. This plant evolved to become six different plants (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards and kale)
Also in the picture below, the corn has evolved from a plant called Teosinte.
Do we really need this process called artificial selection? In my opinion, I don't really think we need artificial selection in today's society because it just isn't necessary. Though the average human today consumes about 69 pounds of meat, I don't think it's really a necessity to consume that much. Artificial Selection has it's pros and cons - the pros could have a good outcome on society, while the cons do the complete opposite; obviously. Artificially selecting plants is a wonderful way of producing healthier, more desirable plants -but artificially selecting animals is a different story. Plants have helped people evolve plants that are not edible nor desirable. They don't get diseases or any sort of disorder, so artificially selecting plants to evolve different plants for our own human needs would be a good thing. Animals though, not so much. More meat on their bones is NOT necessary, nor is changing the colour of their fur.
In conclusion, my opinion of artificially selection is a good way to produce the things we want and need, but it should be something that we resort to. What do you think?
SOURCES:
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118084/Gene/Genetic_variation/artificialselection.htm
http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/artificial+selection
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-artificial-selection.htm
http://www.messybeast.com/inbreed.htm
http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/life/session5/closer1.html
BLOGS I COMMENTED ON:
Amanda Myers
Angela Nisce
The results of artificial selection is very noticeable and almost all the animals that we now artificially select doesn't look anything alike from their ancestors. For example, the Grey Wolf has been artificially selected in order to emphasize the less-aggressive traits of the canines, becoming a bulldog, collie, dachshund and other different types of dogs.
Artificially breeding certain animals to attain the desirable traits that people want can be very useful but the use of this process has sometimes gone over the line. People have been breeding closely related animals to have a better chance of getting their desired traits from the animals. This is being done because some animals may acquire traits that most or all animals don't; therefore making the people breed closely related animals. The process of inbreeding are one of the potential dangers of too much artificial selection because this can cause a defect or genetic disorders to the animals. Selectively breeding animals can also essentially reduce the variation of the animal population.
Artificial selection also occurs with plants and has successfully evolved. Plants like the "Brassica oleracea" has been artificially selected successfully. This plant evolved to become six different plants (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards and kale)
Also in the picture below, the corn has evolved from a plant called Teosinte.
Do we really need this process called artificial selection? In my opinion, I don't really think we need artificial selection in today's society because it just isn't necessary. Though the average human today consumes about 69 pounds of meat, I don't think it's really a necessity to consume that much. Artificial Selection has it's pros and cons - the pros could have a good outcome on society, while the cons do the complete opposite; obviously. Artificially selecting plants is a wonderful way of producing healthier, more desirable plants -but artificially selecting animals is a different story. Plants have helped people evolve plants that are not edible nor desirable. They don't get diseases or any sort of disorder, so artificially selecting plants to evolve different plants for our own human needs would be a good thing. Animals though, not so much. More meat on their bones is NOT necessary, nor is changing the colour of their fur.
In conclusion, my opinion of artificially selection is a good way to produce the things we want and need, but it should be something that we resort to. What do you think?
SOURCES:
http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118084/Gene/Genetic_variation/artificialselection.htm
http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/artificial+selection
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-artificial-selection.htm
http://www.messybeast.com/inbreed.htm
http://www.learner.org/courses/essential/life/session5/closer1.html
BLOGS I COMMENTED ON:
Amanda Myers
Angela Nisce
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