A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance ( phenotype ), homogeneous behavior , and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species . In literature, there exist several slightly deviating definitions. Breeds are formed through genetic isolation and either natural adaptation to the environment or selective breeding , or a combination of the two. Despite the centrality of the idea of "breeds" to animal husbandry and agriculture, no single, scientifically accepted definition of the term exists. A breed is therefore not an objective or biologically verifiable classification but is instead a term of art amongst groups of breeders who share a consensus around what qualities make some members of a given species members of a nameable subset.
7-686: The Garfagnina Bianca is a breed of small domestic sheep from the historic area of the Garfagnana , the mountainous northern part of the province of Lucca , in Tuscany in central Italy. It shares common origins with the Cornella Bianca , Massese and Zerasca . It is one of the forty-two autochthonous local sheep breeds of limited distribution for which a herdbook is kept by the Associazione Nazionale della Pastorizia ,
14-411: A breed does so by selecting individual animals from within a gene pool that they see as having the necessary qualities needed to enhance the breed model they are aiming for. These animals are referred to as foundation stock . Furthermore, the breeder mates the most desirable representatives of the breed from his or her point of view, aiming to pass such characteristics to their progeny . This process
21-487: A requirement for a breed. Plant breeds are more commonly known as cultivars . The offspring produced as a result of breeding animals of one breed with other animals of another breed are known as crossbreeds or mixed breeds. Crosses between animal or plant variants above the level of breed/cultivar (i.e. between species, subspecies , botanical variety , even different genera ) are referred to as hybrids . The breeder (or group of breeders) who initially establishes
28-411: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Breed Another point of view is that a breed is consistent enough in type to be logically grouped together and when mated within the group produce the same type. When bred together, individuals of the same breed pass on these predictable traits to their offspring, and this ability – known as " breeding true " – is
35-429: Is known as selective breeding . A written description of desirable and undesirable breed representatives is referred to as a breed standard . Breed specific characteristics, also known as breed traits, are inherited, and purebred animals pass such traits from generation to generation. Thus, all specimens of the same breed carry several genetic characteristics of the original foundation animal(s). In order to maintain
42-499: The Italian national association of sheep-breeders. Breed numbers declined drastically in the second half of the twentieth century. In 1961 there were more than 50,000, distributed over much of central Italy; a census in 1983 identified fewer than 50 pure-bred specimens. In 2013 total numbers for the breed were 356. This Italy -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This sheep -related article
49-411: The breed, a breeder would select those animals with the most desirable traits to achieve further maintenance and developing of such traits. At the same time, the breed would avoid animals carrying characteristics undesirable or not typical for the breed, including faults or genetic defects. The population within the same breed should consist of a sufficient number of animals to maintain the breed within
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