Definition of artificial selection - What it is, Meaning and Concept

The concept of artificial selection is used within the framework of a technique of control and management of reproduction .This selection consists of choosing the phenotypes of organisms that are grown or raised.

Thus, artificial selection implies a manipulation of the characteristics that are inherited .Through science , it is possible to increase the frequency with which genetic changes occur in successive generations.This particularity allows guide the evolution of species according to the needs of the human being.

Artificial selection is generally aimed at obtaining differentiated specimens for reproduction .From new generations, specimens with the desired characteristics begin to emerge stably.

It is important to know that artificial selection can be classified into several groups, depending on different criteria that are considered.Specifically, the most frequent classifications are these:-According to the methodology used to carry it out They can be divided into two large groups: the negative selection, which is the one that is undertaken to prevent the occurrence of copies with certain characteristics that are not desired, or positive selection, which is carried out to favor the reproduction of copies that count with certain signs of identity.-According to the planning that has been used, it can be said that there are two great types of artificial selection: the unconscious, when the plan is not established but arises by certain preferences, and conscious, when the cited selection plan is previously established and fixed.

Among the clearest examples of artificial selection or that have given rise to known specimens are the following:-The xoloitzcuintle dog, which has some physical characteristics that are considered beautifully aesthetic for a dog and that serves primarily as an animal of company.-Cauliflower or broccoli are established that are the result of an artificial selection made by farmers from the plant known as wild mustard.-Banana is also a fruit obtained through this process that occupies us like corn..All that without forgetting that, in the same way, different ornamental plants that we have at your fingertips are the result of the aforementioned procedure.

Artificial selection is often a matter of debate as it has ethical implications.Human beings, when using science to select phenotypes, modify the natural selection : that is , alters the course of nature according to their needs.

In many cases, however, artificial selection is accepted without too much questioning as it becomes a necessity.The increase in the world population, for example , requires a greater production of food: natural selection can help edible plants grow faster and with greater capacity for resistance .