Final answer:
Artificial selection is the human-driven process where certain organisms are bred for desired traits. It is similar to natural selection but involves human choice rather than environmental pressures. This has been practiced in agriculture to develop crops with more desirable characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Artificial Selection Explained
The breathing of domestic plants and animals by humans to produce certain physical traits is known as artificial selection. This process involves humans choosing which individuals of a species will breed based on desirable characteristics. An example can be seen in agriculture, where farmers select and breed cows that produce the most milk while avoiding breeding those that produce less. Over time, this leads to a population of cows that overall produces more milk with better quality.
Artificial selection is similar to natural selection in that both processes involve the differential reproduction of organisms with favored traits. However, in artificial selection, humans are the ones making the selections actively, while in natural selection, environmental pressures and survival challenges lead to the proliferation of beneficial traits without human intervention. The changes in organisms brought about through artificial selection provide evidence for the principles underlying evolution by natural selection.
Domesticated crops are an example where humans have practiced artificial selection for thousands of years. Selecting and planting seeds from plants with desirable traits, like larger seeds or higher yield, have led to the development and enhancement of agricultural species, shaping the biodiversity we see in agriculture today.