20 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
Examples of Species Evolved through Human Artificial Sele...
The dog can stand for the success of other breeding programs. As Darwin noted in The Origin, “Breeders habitually speak of an animal’s organization as something quite plastic, which they can model almost as they please.” Cows, sheep, pigs, flowers, vegetables, and so on—all came from humans choosing variants present in wild ancestors, or variants that arose by mutation during domestication. Through selection, the svelte wild turkey has become our docile, meaty, and virtually tasteless...Turkeys, corn, broccoli, tomatoes, etc, etc, all bred from wild species into their modern domesticated forms.
20 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
Dogs are Evolved from Wolves Through Artificial Selection
Take the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), a single species that comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and temperaments. Every single one, purebred or mutt, descends from a single ancestral species—most likely the Eurasian gray wolf—that humans began to select about 10,000 years ago. The American Kennel Club recognizes 150 different breeds, and you’ve seen many of them: the tiny, nervous Chihuahua, perhaps bred as a food animal by the Toltec of Mexico; the robust Saint Bernard, thick...Breeders are able to sculpt dogs into whatever they desire. Experimental proof of evolution.