4 ms·
Artificial selection in the lab
- ggrot 16y agoBusiness Opportunity. Selecting for guppies with specific people's names in their spots.
- Groxx 16y agohow 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 16y agoReally cool! Also... reference: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2408316 http://www.jstor.org/stable/2408316
- ugh 16y agoI 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.
- Groxx 16y agoI'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 16y 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 16y agoI 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 16y agoThis experiment was exposed on Richard Dawkins' "The Greatest Show on Earth", highly recommended read for those interested in learning more on evolution.