Learning objectives

Students will be able to select individuals ideal for changing population phenotypes toward a set goal. Students will be able to predict outcomes of artificial selection pressure.

Real world application

Why are there so many varieties of tomatoes? How can there be so many breeds of dogs? Humans have used artificial selection for thousands of years to shape crops and livestock. Agricultural scientists work to change these populations to meet the desires of human populations.

Ancestral Generation

Here are six representative individuals of the current population. The distribution of flower diameter is shown on the graph. To select the parents, drag an individual into each parent box. You can drag the same individual twice to self-pollinate one individual. To breed and see the next generation, click Reproduce.