6.1 Artificial Selection Lesson

Passage: Artificial vs. Natural Selection

Artificial selection is a process in which humans intentionally breed plants or animals for specific traits. For example, dog breeds like Labrador Retrievers and Dachshunds have been developed through selective breeding to emphasize desirable characteristics such as size, temperament, and appearance. In contrast, natural selection is a natural process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and reproduce. A classic example of natural selection is the peppered moth in England, where lighter-colored moths were more common before the Industrial Revolution. As pollution darkened tree bark, darker moths became more prevalent because they were less visible to predators.