Which mechanism is defined as human-driven selection for breeding desirable traits from natural variation?

Which mechanism is defined as human-driven selection for breeding desirable traits from natural variation?

• A. Genetic Drift
• B. Artificial Selection
• C. Gene Flow
• D. Natural Selection

Answer: (B)

Artificial selection is human-driven breeding of desirable traits from natural variation. People choose which individuals reproduce based on traits they value—like larger fruit, sweeter taste, or calmer temperaments—and over generations those traits become more common because they are passed to offspring. This differs from natural selection, where environmental pressures determine which traits help individuals survive and reproduce. Genetic drift involves random changes in allele frequencies, not selection for specific traits, and gene flow is the movement of genes between populations through migration. So the mechanism described is artificial selection because the direction of change comes from human choices shaping which traits are bred.

Artificial selection is human-driven breeding of desirable traits from natural variation. People choose which individuals reproduce based on traits they value—like larger fruit, sweeter taste, or calmer temperaments—and over generations those traits become more common because they are passed to offspring. This differs from natural selection, where environmental pressures determine which traits help individuals survive and reproduce. Genetic drift involves random changes in allele frequencies, not selection for specific traits, and gene flow is the movement of genes between populations through migration. So the mechanism described is artificial selection because the direction of change comes from human choices shaping which traits are bred.