Your Local Green Market to Teach Artificial Selection

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2015, Volume 36

Kathleen Nolan, Alison Cucco, & Regina Alvarez

Abstract

Did you know that the wild tomato is only the size of a currant? Through many years of artificial selection, farmers have been able to artificially select for traits such as size, taste, color and texture. Students in Biological Evolution and Botany courses participated in tastings of heirloom tomatoes and apples obtained from a local green market. They rated characteristics of these fruits such as color, mass, texture and taste. This exercise was a lead-in to a discussion about artificial selection and genetically modified organisms. The students then presented to the class their findings from peer-reviewed research papers on the genetics of tomatoes and/or apples, and Brassica oleracea varieties.

Keywords:  artificial selection

University of Oregon (2014)