Artificial selection in crops and livestock: Domestication, maize, and Brassica vegetables

Fill-in-the-blank style flashcards covering artificial selection, maize domestication, and plant domestication (Brassica) from the lecture notes.

Maize (corn) was developed over thousands of years starting in Central America and Mexico through __, leading to a much bigger plant.

cross-breeding and artificial selection

Everything we eat today was likely much smaller and had a different nutritional profile two or three generations ago due to __.

artificial selection (selective breeding)

Humans have been __ selecting traits in animals we eat to make them bigger with more meat and fat.

artificially

Farmed hogs for human consumption are bigger and fattier, and would not survive long in the wild, showing the effects of __ on livestock.

selective breeding

Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli originated from the wild mustard plant; this shows how humans have used __ to shape crops.

artificial selection (selective breeding)

The wild mustard plant is the ancestor of many Brassica vegetables, illustrating how selection can transform wild plants into __ varieties.

cultivated (domesticated) varieties

Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and broccoli all originated from the plant species __ (Brassica oleracea).

Brassica oleracea

Crops like Brussels sprouts and broccoli were produced by long __ for traits within the Brassica family.

selective breeding

Overall, these notes illustrate how agriculture has shaped crops and animals through __.

artificial selection