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mass selection

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animal breeding

Red Poll cowsIn animal breeding: Methods of selection

…Of selection are individual or mass selection, within and between family selection, sibling selection,
and progeny testing, with many variations. Within family selection uses the best individual from each
family for breeding. Between family selection uses the whole family for selection. Mass selection uses
records of only the candidates for…

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artificial selection

artificial selection: Great Dane and ChihuahuaIn selection

In mass selection, a number of individuals chosen on the basis of appearance are mated; their progeny
are further selected for the preferred characteristics, and the process is continued for as many
generations as is desired. The choosing of breeding stock on the basis of ancestral…

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plant breeding

TriticaleIn plant breeding: Mass selection

In mass selection, seeds are collected from (usually a few dozen to a few hundred) desirable appearing
individuals in a population, and the next generation is sown from the stock of mixed seed. This
procedure, sometimes referred to as phenotypic selection, is based…

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selective breeding

Table of Contents

Introduction

Historical developments and examples

Heritability of traits

References & Edit History

Related Topics

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selective breeding; artificial selection

Learn how dominant and recessive genes determine which traits and offspring will possess

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selective breeding
genetics

Also known as: artificial selection

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selective breeding; artificial selection

selective breeding; artificial selection

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Category: Science & Tech

Also Called: artificial selection

Key People: Dorothy Leib Harrison Wood Eustis Robert Bakewell Robert Colling Charles Colling

Related Topics: progeny selection pure-line selection family selection pedigree selection mass selection

Selective breeding, also called artificial selection, the practice of mating individuals with desired traits as
a means of increasing the frequency of those traits in a population. In selective breeding, the breeder
attempts to isolate and propagate the genotypes (genetic constitutions) that are responsible for an
organism’s desired qualities in a suitable environment. Such qualities generally are economically or
aesthetically desirable to humans rather than useful to the organism in its natural environment.

Selective breeding results from the inheritance of gene-associated traits and, more specifically, from
changes in the frequencies with which desired traits occur in populations. The latter in turn alters gene
frequencies in the population. Since evolution is based on shifts in gene frequency, selective breeding is
considered to be a driver of evolution.

Charles Darwin

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animal behaviour: Artificial selection

Historical developments and examples

Humans have been modifying the traits of plant and animal species through selective breeding for
thousands of years. More than 9,000 years ago in Mesoamerica, for example, humans began selectively
breeding teosinte plants that had greater numbers of kernels, and this practice eventually gave rise to
corn (maize; Zea mays), which is today one of the most widely distributed of the world’s food crops.
Many other plants that are used by humans have undergone similar selection processes. Cruciferous
vegetables, examples of which include kale, broccoli, and cauliflower, share a common ancestor: wild
mustard (Brassica). Selection of wild mustard for specific traits, beginning at least 2,000 years ago, led to
the emergence of different versions, or cultivars, of the species. Selection for wild mustard plants with
large leaves, for example, resulted in kale, whereas selection for enlarged flower buds led to cauliflower.
Likewise, domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) first emerged possibly as early as 30,000 years ago in
Southeast Asia—and more certainly between 29,000 and 14,000 years ago in Eurasia—as a result of
selective breeding of wolves with companionable traits. Since then, selection for fur colour and fur
thickness and length, as well as for body type and temperament, has resulted in more than 400 distinct
breeds of dogs.

Scientific understanding of selective breeding expanded particularly in the 19th century, when English
naturalist Charles Darwin used his experience with selective breeding of captive pigeons to form his
insights about natural selection and evolution. Beginning in the second half of the 20th century,
advances in genetic technology enabled researchers to modify traits across generations of organisms by
introducing novel genetic variations, rather than by breeding. True selective breeding, through the
mating of individuals, however, continues to be a valuable tool in research and agriculture. In particular,
it has provided critical insight into mechanisms of inheritance, genetic disease, and genetic diversity. For
example, selection has been so intense in some dog breeds as to actually reduce genetic diversity in
small breeding populations, which has manifested in various ways, including increased risk of disease
and decreased survival. These effects are strikingly evident in French Bulldogs, which have been selected
for compact features, resulting in narrow nostrils and a flat face, causing the animals to experience
breathing problems that affect their quality of life and survival.

Heritability of traits

Heritable traits become more frequent in populations at varying rates. The ease with which a trait
becomes more frequent across generations is referred to as heritability. Scientists can measure the
heritability of distinct traits to help breeders estimate how long it will take for a trait to increase in
frequency within a population. In some instances, traits are determined by a single gene. This occurs
when the alleles (any of one or more genes that can occur at the same site on a chromosome) have a
dominant/recessive relationship, wherein both alleles affect the same inherited characteristic but one
allele is expressed in an observable manner over the other. Dominant traits are highly heritable, and
their frequency in a population can be changed over the course of a single generation. In other cases,
multiple genes contribute to the expression of a trait. Often, the trait is also partly influenced by the
environment. In such cases, selective breeding over many generations is required to dramatically change
the frequency of the trait in a population.

Karin Akre