Plants and animals are not immune to this human need to get what they want. Breeding and raising livestock and agriculture for specific traits is considered ‘artificial selection’, which is the opposite of natural selection. Whereas natural selection occurs because of environmental pressures, artificial selection is when humans choose one desirable trait and continually breed for that trait until it satisfies the needs of the people. By selecting what traits are wanted, they can slowly weed out traits that are less than optimal for any given organism.
Although we may not realize it, many of the things around us come from artificially selected sources. Those tomatoes are resistant to pests or disease, that bread is made from wheat that grows faster and survives better, and the roses in your garden were artificially selected to create a hybrid that would be easy to grow and beautifully pleasing. Let’s not forget about the things that wouldn’t exist without artificial selection. Corn, broccoli, and the banana are just some of the crops that never would have graced our dinner plates if they hadn’t been bred into existence. All of these plants are present today because of the role humans have played in their artificially selected lineage.
Animals are also subjected to humans’ influence in their offspring and breeding. All domesticated animals have been bred to suit out needs. All dogs belong to the same genus and species, but the different kinds exist only because humans have isolated desired traits and bred for them. Cats have the same story, deriving from the same source but being bred for behavioural and aesthetic preferences. Livestock of our modern age has bee n chosen specifically for whatever role they are to play. Cows can be bred specifically for milk production, chickens for egg production, and pigs for their muscle mass. Without these specifically chosen traits, the amount of food products in the world wouldn’t be able to support the current population. Many harvests would fail from pests and disease, and animals would take more energy being raised then they could offer in the form of food.
Without the artificial selection and breeding that many organisms have been subject to, the human race would not have been able to survive in the large number we currently live in. Artificial selection might be seen as having no real impact on ourselves right now, but the truth is, that it really does. That being said, I think it is plain to see that it is needed, and that it is acceptable for everyone. Many things would be lost without it, and our world would be completely different. Take a look around you, and imagine all the things that wouldn’t be there if artificial selection was deemed ‘improper use of biological technology’. It may just be an industrial method to earn money without much cost, but the truth is, without it, our lives would be extremely different.
Sources:
"Artificial Selection" - Global Oneness
"Choosing the Fittest" - Life's Big Instruction Book
"Comparison of Natural and Artificial Selection" - Helium.com
"Selective Breeding" - Biology Online
Comments:
Wayne Yeung
Erica Wright
