Breeding and Behaviour

A unique Siberian breeding experiment tried to rid wild foxes of their aggressive genes. Was the experiment successful?

Biology - Cells And DNA - Learning Points.

In 1959, Siberian scientists set up two breeding programmes using silver foxes.

The first breeding programme allowed only the tamest individuals in each generation to breed.

The second breeding programme allowed only the aggressive individuals in each generation to breed.

50 years on, scientists have isolated the gene responsible for tameness and revealed how selective breeding can affect behaviour as well as physical traits.

A Twig Context Film.
Reinforce and extend the learning required by the curriculum. Twig’s context films show abstract concepts in action in the real world.