According to this case of a farmer selecting only the best egg-laying chickens to reproduce and restrict the poor producers, I think it is an example of artificial selection because he decides which traits should evolve. In contrast to natural selection, artificial selection is initiated by individuals based on their needs (Li et al., 2019). As a result, it acts vastly with positive results even for a short period.
Recently, the artificial selection process has been aided by the emergence of better breeding mechanisms and companies specialized in investing in breeding (Leenstra et al., 2016). The domestication process has been designed to equip the chickens with the capabilities to acclimatize to their exposed environments. This is achieved through genetic alterations realized by every subsequent chicken generation.
Improving the chickens’ adaptability to the environment is crucial in improving their overall welfare. From a broad perspective, adaptation is associated with interactions between the animals’ environment and genes. According to Li et al. (2019), these complex interactions enhance heritable variance in chicken’s trait values; for example, among the laying chicken, social constraints have an impact on heritable variance attributed to cannibalism. The genes control the chickens’ reaction to stressors and environmental factors.
Due to farmer involvement in the domestication of the chickens, their genetics and phenotypes are shaped, leading to the adoption of similar traits. Through artificial selection, the farmer understands the cognitive capabilities of chickens (Li et al., 2019). This has had a crucial impact on production over many years. Arguably, artificial selection allows chicken to acquire a high capability of future productivity. It enables them to resist diseases and all unfavorable conditions in the environment. They acquire improved health hence reproducing at a higher right and efficiently.
References
Leenstra, F., Ten Napel, J., Visscher, J., & Van Sambeek, F. (2016). Layer breeding programs in changing production environments: A historical perspective. World’s Poultry Science Journal, 72(1), 21–36. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0043933915002743
Li, D., Li, Y., Li, M., Che, T., Tian, S., Chen, B., Zhou, X., Zhang, G., Gaur, U., Luo, M., Tian, K., He, M., He, S., Xu, Z., Jin, L., Tang, Q., Dai, Y., Xu, H., Hu, Y., … Li, M. (2019). Population genomics identifies patterns of genetic diversity and selection in ChickenChicken. BMC Genomics, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-019-5622-4
