Artificial Selection (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award)): Revision Note

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