Final answer:
Selective breeding has led to the domestication of dogs, emphasizing traits like a calm temperament and sociability. This process can cause health issues due to a narrowed gene pool. It illustrates neotony, with dogs retaining juvenile features, but responsible breeding practices are necessary to ensure the health and welfare of the animals.
Step-by-step explanation:
After generations of selective breeding, this animal has been made exceptionally tame. One prominent example of such selective breeding is the domestication of dogs. The domestication process involves encouraging animals with traits desirable to humans, such as a calm temperament, small size, and sociability, to reproduce over multiple generations. This selective breeding has not only played a significant role in creating various dog breeds with specialized traits but has also forged a unique relationship between humans and dogs, providing us with companionship and assistance in different tasks.
However, selective breeding can also result in health problems for these domesticated animals. For example, some dog breeds have become susceptible to diseases and physical deformities due to the narrowing of the gene pool. Dog domestication further highlights the concept of neotony, where animals are bred to retain juvenile features into adulthood, often to maintain a specific aesthetic appearance desired by humans.
Despite the benefits, ethical considerations such as avoiding inbreeding and prioritizing animal welfare must be integrated into the future practices of animal domestication and selective breeding to prevent deleterious health effects on the domesticated species.