Topic
"Artificial selection has resulted in plants that are more disease-resistant, cows that produce more milk, and racehorses that run faster. One must wonder what will come next. Under what circumstances should humans be artificially selecting plants or animals, if any?"
What is Artificial Selection?
Artificial selection is basically a process of changing features of plants or animals artificially. For example, animal breeders can change the characteristics of animals by choosing animals with the best qualities such as milk production. In other terms, a human can breed plants and animals for desirable traits, not necessary traits for survival in the wild. Another example is plants. Humans use pesticides and fertilizers to increase the growth of plants to make it so that it grows with desirable results. Plants without the help of humans are less likely to survive.
Artificial selection saves time and we could get better results. We get more milk produced from cows, larger amount of crops, and superior qualities from animals. Look at the image to the left, do you see the difference? I would rather eat the corn on the right than on the left.
What’s so bad about it?
Killer bees! Yes, killer bees, a perfect example of a negative consequence of artificial selection. A scientist by the name of Warwick Estevam Kerr crossbred African bees with European honeybees and poof! This gives you Africanized bees, also known as killer bees. Why did he breed two different kinds of bees? It’s because he wanted more honey! Killer bees have caused great fear to people because of its sting, which kills 1 to 2 people per year in America. Another downside to artificial selection is variation. This process basically removes variation in a population, so selectively bred organisms are vulnerable to new diseases or changes in the environment.
The term selective breeding is equal with artificial selection, so let’s take a look at animal breeding. By breeding the best of the best, we can achieve the best of results and achieve a superior bloodline. For example, the selection of breeding for race horses different and particular performance traits.
Also, single trait breeding, breeding for only one trait over another, causes many problems. Temple Grandin, a doctor of animal science found out that roosters that are bred for better muscles lost their knowledge of typical rooster dances, which is used to attract a mate. This alienated the roosters from the hens, causing the roosters to “rape” the hens. Yes, the roosters would rape the hen, then kill it.
Should humans be artificially selecting plants or animals?
If there wasn’t anything artificially selected in our world, would we have the same life? Is it wrong to create a better product for people to eat and use? Artificial selection has indeed improved our quality of life with better products, better results, more food, and is cost efficient. It gave farmers cows that produced more milk, and more amount of crops which equals to more profit. But artificial selection has caused quite a number of problems, from killer bees to “raping” roosters. Everything has its good and bad, and we have to accept that. Humans are given the power of creation, which we are all capable of using. I just hope that humans don't come up with crazy selections and modifications to the natural, like flying bears.
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