SBI3U – Unit 3: Evolution

Name: Date: Monday, May 25, 2015

Investigating Artificial Selection

How did your favourite food come to be?
Thinking & Investigation Communication Application

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THINKING & INVESTIGATION [8 MARKS]

1. Pick a food item that you believe has been artificially selected: [2 MARKS]
Apples

2. How have humans intervened (artificially selected) with this food item? [6 marks]
a. Describe what it used to be and the steps humans have taken [3]
This plant came from the rose family. Humans wanted them to be able to grow in colder
regions, bigger, and more juicy. They would continue to breed them until they got the results
they wanted and continue to plant the seeds of the one with the desired results.
b. What was the origin/parent species? [1]
Rosaceae (Rose family), Malus sieversii was the original apple plant, found in West Asia.
c. What is it now? [1]
Apple
d. What were the processes taken to transform the food from its origins to its present form?
[3]
People would crossbreed the apples until they got the desired results. Whether its wanting
sweeter apples, juicier apples, or apples with whiter flesh, seeds will be taken from the
apples and be crossbred.
 SBI3U – Unit 3: Evolution
Name: Date: Monday, May 25, 2015

APPLICATION [8 MARKS]

1. How has artificial selection of this food item affected the economy? What are the positive and
negative impacts? [4 MARKS]

Positive Since they’re juicier, bigger, and look more appealing, more and more apples are being
impact purchased.

There are many types of apples (over 7500!) that people can choose from based on which
traits they prefer.

Negative The process of getting the desired traits take awhile, so if they don’t have apples with
impact desired traits one year, it’ll be awhile before they get it again and people won’t buy the
apples.

It may be harder to produce different kinds of apple in the future if we don’t have much
variety. If one wants different traits in the future, it’ll be harder to achieve.

2. How has artificial selection of this food item affected the environment? What are the positive and
negative impacts? [4 MARKS]

Positive If some animals prefer the taste of artificially selected apples, they can keep their
impact ecosystem thriving (if pesticides have not yet been used on it).

Doesn’t harm the environment by just replanting seeds.

Negative More pesticides will need to be used because fruits are juicier, which attract more insects,
impact therefore more pesticide resistance and dangerous chemicals within the environment.

There would be a decrease in the variety of genetics, making the apples more susceptible
to disease. If one plant gets it, it can easily spread to the other plants since most of their
genes are the same.
 SBI3U – Unit 3: Evolution
Name: Date: Monday, May 25, 2015

COMMUNICATION [8 MARKS]

1. How does artificial selection compare with natural selection? What are some similarities and
differences? [4 MARKS]
Similarities include:
1. They both affect the alleles and genes in an organism.
2. They both require variation in a species.

Differences include:
1. Natural selection has to do with survival of the fittest, while artificial has to do with humans
intentionally breeding organisms to get certain traits.
2. Natural selection will happen on its own to result in certain traits, but humans need to intervene to
get certain traits with artificial selection.

2. After conducting this research, what can you conclude about the type of mechanism of evolution that
has occurred? Which one is it and Why? [4 MARKS]
Apples originated in West Asia, but have been brought over to the Americas when settlers carried it
over. Selective breeding has occurred among apples for them to have evolved. Apples did not evolve on
their own because humans crossbred seeds in order to produce new types of apple. Finally, when they
were brought over from Asia, the apples had to adapt to the weather change and soil change on their own.