by The Open University
Available in 16 free installments
Owner:
When you have completed this unit you should be able to:
define the terms ‘artificial selection? and ‘domestication? and explain the relationship between artificial and natural selection;
describe some forms of dwarfism in modern breeds of dogs and explain their relationship to dwarfism in humans and in modern and extinct wild mammals;
describe some features of the skin, fur, feathers and the shape of the head frequently observed in domesticated livestock;
outline some major conclusions emerging from the sequencing of the dog genome and outline some current theories about when and where dogs were domesticated;
explain the functional basis of some of the anatomical changes induced by selective breeding of some modern dog breeds;
describe experimental domestication in foxes and explain its relevance to the origin of anatomical and behavioural characteristics in modern breeds of dogs and other livestock;
measure some anatomical changes induced by selective breeding of bulldogs during the last hundred years and use the data to assess functionality and rates of evolutionary change.
Original Copyright © 2007 The Open University. Now made available within the Creative Commons framework under the CC Attribution – Non-commercial licence (see http://creativecommons.org/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/).
