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Also called functionalism. The Darwinian view that many or most physiological and behavioral traits of organisms are adaptations that have evolved for specific functions or for specific reasons (as opposed to being byproducts of the evolution of other traits, consequences of biological constraints, or the result of random variation). adaptive radiation The simultaneous or near-simultaneous ...
Breeding stock is a group of animals used for the purpose of planned breeding. When individuals are looking to breed animals, they look for certain valuable traits in purebred animals, or may intend to use some type of crossbreeding to produce a new type of stock with different, and presumably superior abilities in a given area of endeavor.
Purebred are those animals that have been bred-up to purebred status as a result of using full blood animals to cross with an animal of another breed. Artificial breeding via artificial insemination or embryo transfer is often used in sheep and cattle breeding to quickly expand, or improve purebred herds.
Purebred breeding aims to establish and maintain stable traits, that animals will pass to the next generation. By "breeding the best to the best," employing a certain degree of inbreeding, considerable culling, and selection for "superior" qualities, one could develop a bloodline superior in certain respects to the original base stock.
All of the definitions were written by the same Ph.D.-level science writer for consistency and accuracy. Illustrations: Most terms have professionally drawn illustrations to further explain a meaning or concept, or place them in context of the cell or a similar biological setting as a means to better explain the term.
Animal breeding as an ancient human occupation, can be traced back to domestication and dates back to at least 14 thousand yrs ago. The modern processes of purebred breeding evolved between the late 18th century and the late 20th century, influenced significantly by advancements and increased understanding of genetics and eugenics.
A mule is a sterile hybrid of a male donkey and a female horse.Mules are smaller than horses but stronger than donkeys, making them useful as pack animals.. In biology, a hybrid is the offspring resulting from combining the qualities of two organisms of different varieties, subspecies, species or genera through sexual reproduction.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to genetics: . Genetics – science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms. [1] [2] Genetics deals with the molecular structure and function of genes, and gene behavior in context of a cell or organism (e.g. dominance and epigenetics), patterns of inheritance from parent to offspring, and gene distribution ...