Selective Breeding

Selective Breeding

• Selective breeding is where humans artificially select the plants or animals that are going on to breed so that the genes for particular characteristics remain in the population. Organisms are selectively bred to develop features that are useful or attractive.
• Animals are selectively bred for more meat or milk.
• Crops are bred for resistance to disease.
• Dogs are bred to have a good, gentle temperament.
• Plants are bred to be decorative with big or unusual flowers.
• Selective breeding involves:

1. From your existing stock, select the ones which have the characteristics you're after.

2. Breed them with each other.

3. Select the best of the offspring and breed them together.

4. Continue this process over several generations, and the desirable traits get stronger and stronger. Eventually all the the offspring will have the characteristic.

• In agriculture, selective breeding can…