Animal Genetics & Selective Breeding
📋 What it is
Traits pass from parents to offspring through genes; humans have bred animals for chosen traits for millennia.
🗣️ Coach says
Animals inherit traits (colour, size, temperament) from their parents through GENES. For thousands of years, humans have used SELECTIVE BREEDING — choosing which animals reproduce — to shape traits: all dog breeds descend from wolves this way. It’s powerful, but responsible breeding must protect animal health.
🧠 Memory hook
Traits pass via genes. Selective breeding = choosing who reproduces to shape traits (all dogs ← wolves).
😂 Giggle
What did the vet say to the anxious pet owner?
"Don't worry — we'll get to the bottom of this, paws and all!"
😲 Whoa!
Every dog breed — from a tiny Chihuahua to a giant Great Dane — descends from the wolf, shaped over thousands of years of selective breeding.
✅ Quick check: How did we get so many different dog breeds?
Say your answer out loud first — then reveal.
Selective breeding — humans chose which dogs (descended from wolves) reproduced, shaping traits over generations.
Selective breeding shapes inherited traits over time.
🧪 Try it! (2 minutes)
Notice how puppies resemble their parents — traits passed through genes, the basis of breeding.