Question
What process developed all of the dog breeds that exist today? A. Natural selection B. Artificial selection C. Sexual selection D. Acquired selection
Answer
4.1
(224 Votes)
Marnie
Master · Tutor for 5 years
Answer
B. Artificial selection
Explanation
## Step 1:Firstly, we need to understand what each of the given options means.### **Natural Selection**: This is an evolutionary process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. It's a natural, unguided process driven by environmental pressures.## Step 2:### **Artificial Selection (Selective Breeding)**: This is the intentional breeding of organisms by humans for specific traits. In the context of dog breeds, humans have historically bred dogs for various purposes, such as hunting, guarding, and companionship, leading to the wide variety of breeds seen today.## Step 3:### **Sexual Selection**: A type of natural selection, sexual selection occurs when individuals in a species develop traits that give them a reproductive advantage over others, like peacock feathers. It’s not directly applicable to the development of dog breeds since the traits were selected by humans, not by the dogs themselves.## Step 4:### **Acquired Selection**: This term isn't a recognized scientific term in the context of evolutionary biology or animal breeding. It might refer to traits acquired during an individual's lifetime, but such traits are not genetically passed on to offspring.## Step 5:Given these definitions, the development of dog breeds through selective breeding by humans aligns with the concept of artificial selection.