Selective breeding

• What is another term for selective breeding?

  Artificial selection
• Humans have been using selective breeding for thousands of years, ever since they started domesticating animals
• Selective breeding began when humans transitioned from hunter-gatherers to farmers.
• Match the early crops with their names:

  Wheat ↔️ Wheat

  Barley ↔️ Barley

  Lentils ↔️ Lentils

  Potatoes ↔️ Potatoes
• Which animals were among the first to be domesticated for milk, meat, and hides?

  Goats, sheep, and chickens
• Agriculture allowed fewer people to provide more food, leading to increased population density.
• Steps involved in the process of selective breeding:

  1️⃣ Select parents with desired traits

  2️⃣ Breed the selected parents

  3️⃣ Choose offspring with desired traits

  4️⃣ Repeat breeding over generations
• What are some traits that can be selected for in food crops using selective breeding?

  Insect and disease resistance
• In selective breeding, animals that produce more meat or milk are bred to increase yields
• All dog breeds today were selectively bred from a common wolf ancestor.
• What is a potential negative outcome of inbreeding in selective breeding?

  Reduced genetic diversity
• Reduced genetic diversity makes species more vulnerable to environmental changes and diseases
• Inbreeding increases the risk of genetic diseases caused by recessive genes.
• What is a good example of a severe mutation resulting from inbreeding?

  White tiger
• Genetic engineering is a faster way to introduce desired traits into organisms compared to selective breeding.