Artificial selection in the lab

http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/artificial_01

by MikeCapone • 16 years ago

25 8 16 years ago

evolution.berkeley.edu

ggrot• 16 years ago

Business Opportunity. Selecting for guppies with specific people's names in their spots.

Groxx2• 16 years ago

how about something simpler: guppies with A/B/C/1/2/3 on them, to help in those important decision-making processes. Just chuck in a predator, and choose the last one, because it's clearly the best! You can even tell your shareholders that your decisions are made not only with nature in mind, but by nature itself!

nlindig• 16 years ago

Really cool! Also... reference:

http://www.jstor.org/stable/2408316

ugh• 16 years ago

I would call that natural selection. The actual selection is not done by humans (hence not artificial), they only set up the environment.

Well, you might say it’s a bit of both. Or you might completely do away with the concept of artificial selection. Humans are part of nature just as much as gazelles. The first select tastier cows, the second faster gepards. Artificial selection is, seen from that angle, not much more than a special case of natural selection.

Groxx2• 16 years ago

I'd label it natural selection in an artificial situation.

Artificial selection would be, as you said, explicitly done by humans (ie, selectively killing / breeding to get the desired traits).

How else to put it... humans often choose by traits, regardless of their efficiency. Nature chooses by individuals / efficiency, often regardless of a specific trait.

Legion• 16 years ago

>> I'd label it natural selection in an artificial situation.

I think that's a good way of phrasing it.

>> Artificial selection would be, as you said, explicitly done by humans (ie, selectively killing / breeding to get the desired traits).

Like that Russian fox domestication experiment.

Estragon• 16 years ago

I think we should have a big argument about the right term we should use to refer to the selection scheme, to pass the time.

albemuth• 16 years ago

This experiment was exposed on Richard Dawkins' "The Greatest Show on Earth", highly recommended read for those interested in learning more on evolution.

Artificial selection in the lab

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