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artificial selection
See the most commonly confused word associated with natural selection
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noun
a process in the breeding of animals and in the cultivation of plants by which the breeder chooses to perpetuate only those forms having certain desirable inheritable characteristics.
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Words nearby artificial selection
artificial language, artificial life, artificial person, artificial radioactivity, artificial respiration, artificial selection, artificial turf, Artigas, artillery, artilleryman, artillery plant
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How to use artificial selection in a sentence
Scientific definitions for artificial selection
artificial selection
Modification of a species by human intervention so that certain desirable traits are represented in successive generations. The different breeds of domestic dogs and the large ears of maize corn are products of artificial selection. Compare natural selection.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for artificial selection
artificial selection
The breeding of plants and animals to produce desirable traits. Organisms with the desired traits, such as size or taste, are artificially mated or cross-pollinated with organisms with similar desired traits. (Compare natural selection.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.