2. Compare “natural selection” and “selection
under domestication.” In what ways are they the same, in what ways different?
Natural selection, which serves as the basis for Darwin’s
theory of evolution, involved the perpetuation of certain traits within a species
that are favorable for that species’ survival. The scarcity of resources
necessitates competition between organisms, so the organisms that possess
traits favorable for success (i.e. survival and reproduction) within their
environment are the ones that are then able to pass on their traits. The
heritability of traits makes it such that advantageous characteristics will
spread across generations, while organisms not in possession of those
characteristics more favorable for successful survival and reproduction will
not see their traits proliferate.
Natural selection depends upon competition for resources and
sexual partners to occur, whereas selection under domestication removes those
natural competitive forces and replaces them with breeders who induces the predominance
of whatever traits or types they want by selectively breeding organisms with
those traits. This breeding process can result in unconscious selection in
which certain traits proliferate within the species as an unintentional result
of selection under domestication. I thought of purebred dogs when reading about
unconscious selection, since the inbreeding that often goes hand in hand with
breeding focused on keeping certain breeds of animals pure can result in an
increased predisposition of pugs to respiratory issues, for example.
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