Question

Differentiate between Natural selection and artificial selection.

Answer 1

Aspect	Natural Selection	Artificial Selection
Definition	Process in nature where organisms better adapted to the environment survive and reproduce, increasing frequency of advantageous alleles.	Human-directed selection where individuals with desirable traits are chosen to breed, improving domesticated species.
Agent of Selection	Environmental pressures and natural conditions.	Humans selecting for specific traits of interest.
Criteria for Selection	Survival and reproductive success in the natural environment.	Desirable phenotypic traits for agriculture, animal breeding, etc.
Outcome	Leads to survival of the fittest; drives evolution naturally.	Produces varieties and breeds with specific, enhanced characteristics.
Time Scale	Operates continuously over long evolutionary timescales.	Can produce change more rapidly over generations through breeding.
Examples	Resistance to DDT in mosquitoes; sickle-cell anemia allele and malaria resistance; industrial melanism in peppered moth.	Breeding of cows for high milk yield; domestic varieties of pigeons, broccoli, cabbage derived from wild ancestors.