Final answer:
The process described is known as artificial selection, where humans influence the genetic makeup of species by selective breeding. It stands in contrast to natural selection and includes the domestication of crops throughout history as well as modern genetic engineering techniques.
Step-by-step explanation:
The evolutionary process where humans intentionally or unintentionally modify the genetic makeup of a population of wild plants or animals is known as artificial selection. Through this process, humans choose which individuals within a species are allowed to reproduce based on certain desirable traits. For example, a farmer may select cows that produce more milk and only allow them to breed, ensuring that the trait for higher milk production is passed on to future generations. This method contrasts with natural selection, where environmental factors decide which traits are advantageous for survival without human intervention. It's fascinating to consider that humans may have also undergone a self-domestication process, selecting traits in ourselves that favored agricultural lifestyles, such as cooperativeness.
Throughout the history of agriculture, humans have used artificial selection to develop crops from wild plants, like the transformation of teosinte into modern maize. While traditional breeding practices can be seen as a form of genetic modification, today's biotechnology takes this further with genetic engineering and recombinant DNA technology, allowing for more precise modifications. Importantly, this genetic manipulation does not solely depend on selective breeding but can involve directly altering the DNA of the organism to exhibit the desired traits.