What are the similarities and differences between natural selection and artificial selection

In laying out the evidence for his theory of evolution by natural selection in his 1859 book, On the Origin of Species, the British naturalist and biologist Charles Darwin highlighted the physical traits and behaviors of several species of bird called finches. During a voyage in the 1830s, Darwin had observed these birds on the Galápagos Islands, a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean west of South America.

Sometimes summed up by the phrase “survival of the fittest,” natural selection is based on the following principles: In nature, organisms produce more offspring than are able to survive and reproduce. Offspring with traits that make them more likely to survive, mature, and reproduce in the environment they inhabit pass on their traits to the next generation.

As this happens generation after generation, natural selection acts as a kind of sieve, or a remover of undesirable traits. Organisms therefore gradually become better-suited for their environment. If the environment changes, natural selection will then push organisms to evolve in a different direction to adapt to their new circumstances.

How does this relate to finches? On the Galápagos Islands, some finches appeared so different from others that Darwin did not realize at first that they were all finches. In fact, they were different species of finches with a variety of traits. Some finches, for instance, had long, narrow beaks, while others had short, thick beaks. Darwin concluded that the traits of the different populations of finches had changed over time, and that these variations were related to different environments in the islands. Each type of beak had evolved for a specific task. Where there was a large supply of seeds on the ground, for instance, short-beaked finches became more common, because these beaks were better at cracking open the seeds. Where cactus plants were more common, finches developed long, narrow beaks to extract pollen and nectar from cactus flowers.

Darwin’s finches constituted powerful evidence for natural selection. But Darwin was also inspired greatly by the evolution that he saw in the traits of pigeons, not due to natural selection but rather artificial selection. Breeding pigeons was a popular hobby in England in Darwin’s time. By selecting which pigeons were allowed to mate, people had a profound effect on their appearance, such as the shape and size of their beaks and the color of their feathers.

Dog breeding is another prime example of artificial selection. Although all dogs are descendants of the wolf, the use of artificial selection has allowed humans to drastically alter the appearance of dogs. For centuries, dogs have been bred for various desired characteristics, leading to the creation of a wide range of dogs, from the tiny Chihuahua to the massive Great Dane.

Artificial selection has long been used in agriculture to produce animals and crops with desirable traits. The meats sold today are the result of the selective breeding of chickens, cattle, sheep, and pigs. Many fruits and vegetables have been improved or even created through artificial selection. For example, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage were all derived from the wild mustard plant through selective breeding. Artificial selection appeals to humans since it is faster than natural selection and allows humans to mold organisms to their needs.

Summary of problems:

Artificial selection and natural selection are different forms of the same process. Treating the relationship as a mere analogy assumes that differences are greater than they actually are.

Full discussion:

Natural selection simply requires certain conditions. When they occur, natural selection will occur:

  1. There must be variation within the population of organisms.
  2. That variation must be heritable.
  3. There must be differences in reproductive success based on those heritable differences.

The only difference between natural selection and artificial selection is whether the difference in reproductive success is driven by naturally occurring processes, or whether the selection is imposed by humans. Explore Evolution obscures this in two ways. First, by asserting that the relationship is an analogy, rather than a generalization from the human activity. Second, by referring not to a human activity, but to the action of "intelligence."

This shift is subtle, but is a powerful rhetorical opening move. After introducing an example of shepherds selectively breeding woollier sheep, Explore Evolution asks:

Is it possible that something like this process occurs in nature only without any intelligence to guide it?

Explore Evolution, p. 87

The same question could as easily be posed whether "something like this process occurs in nature only without any [human] to guide it," but would seem much less profound. And as Explore Evolution acknowledges, it is easy to see how forces other than humans could exert selective pressure on populations of living things.

What is 2 differences between natural selection and artificial selection?

Give three differences between natural selection and artificial selection. ... .

What are 3 differences or similarities between natural and artificial selection?

Natural selection affects the entire population of a species. Artificial selection only affects the selected individuals. Natural selection results in a large amount of biological diversity. Artificial selection only brings desirable changes and desirable traits and brings a decrease in genetic diversity.

What are some differences between natural selection and artificial selection?

Natural selection is any selective process that occurs due to the fitness of an organism to its environment. Whereas artificial selection is the selective breeding, imposed by an outside entity, typically humans, in order to increase the frequency of desired traits.