Artificial Selection (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award)): Revision Note
Exam code: 0654 & 0973
Selective Breeding
Selective breeding, also known as artificial selection involves the following process
Selection by humans of individuals with desirable characteristics
Crossing the individuals with desirable characteristics together
Choosing offspring from the cross which also show the desirable characteristics and breeding them together
Repetition of this process over many generations
Selective breeding over many generations eventually results in crop and domestic animal varieties which all show characteristics chosen by humans, e.g.
Dog breeds with calm and friendly temperaments and attractive visible traits
Crop varieties that are resistant to pests and that produce a high yield
Selective breeding in dogs diagram
Selective breeding in dogs has given rise to a wide variety of domestic breeds that are all descended from wild wolf ancestors
Selective breeding in crops diagram
Selective breeding in plants has resulted in a wide range of closely related crop varieties
Examiner Tips and Tricks
You could be asked to apply the principles of selective breeding to unfamiliar examples in an exam, so make sure that you have a good understanding of the steps involved:
Humans select individuals with desired characteristics
Individuals are bred together
Offspring with desired characteristics are chosen
Repeat over many generations
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