Selective Breeding

Selective breeding is the process of breeding plants and animals for particular traits. Typically, strains that are selectively bred are domesticated, and the breeding is sometimes done by a professional breeder. Bred animals are known as breeds, while bred plants are known as varieties, cultigens, or cultivars. The cross of animals results in what is called a crossbreed, and crossbred plants are called hybrids. The term selective breeding is synonymous with artificial selection.

In animal breeding techniques such as inbreeding, linebreeding, and outcrossing are utilized. In plant breeding, similar methods are used. Charles Darwin discussed how selective breeding had been successful in producing change over time in his book, Origin of Species. The first chapter of the book discusses selective breeding and domestication of such animals as pigeons, cats, cattle, and dogs. Selective breeding was used by Darwin as a springboard to introduce the theory of natural selection, and to support it.

Read more about Selective Breeding:  Animal Breeding, Plant Breeding, Selective Breeding in Aquaculture

Famous quotes containing the words selective and/or breeding:

    The selective memory isn’t selective enough.
    Blake Morrison (b. 1950)

    Civility, which is a disposition to accommodate and oblige others, is essentially the same in every country; but good breeding, as it is called, which is the manner of exerting that disposition, is different in almost every country, and merely local; and every man of sense imitates and conforms to that local good breeding of the place which he is at.
    Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)