Selective Breeding
Biology: AQA GCSE Higher, topic 6.2.4
Selective Breeding
Selective breeding (artificial selection) happens when humans choose animals and crops to breed, based on their genetic characteristics.
Promoting desirable characteristics
- Humans have done this in farming for thousands of years (with both crops and animals) to promote the genetic characteristics that we view as desirable.
Test yourself on Selective Breeding
Why do humans use selective breeding on farm animals and crops?
What is it called when farmers choose cows with desirable characteristics to breed?
Selective breeding promotes the genetic characteristics that farmers see as desirable. What is most likely to happen to a population of animals after many generations of selective breeding?
Which statement best explains how selective breeding differs from random breeding?
A farmer wants future generations of chickens to have a particular genetic characteristic. Based on selective breeding, what should the farmer do?