> As far as I'm concerned selection is selection.  Humans just apply different selective pressure because we put the bees in a different environment etc.

Really, there is a vast difference between natural selection and human selection. In a million years, nature would not have selected most of the dog breeds you see strutting around Central Park. Nature wouldn't have selected the giant ears of corn that are produced on America's farms. 

It is true that the plasticity of genetic traits allows us to do this sort of selection, but the criteria we impose is completely different than the constraints imposed by natural selection. In fact, many of our criteria are diametrically opposite what the organism needs in terms of health, vigor and survivability.

I agree that we have to be more far sighted when we apply selective pressures. What will the long-term effects be of selection for this or that trait? I also agree that we cannot create with selection anything that is not inherent in the organisms. However, human selection *is* a creative process, where natural selection is basically all about survival. 

One caveat: we don't really know at this point what the potentials are. Obviously, the world is populated by a vast range of creatures, so evolution is essentially a creative process, which is what makes it immensely interesting to me. But the ruthlessness of natural selection makes one wonder how various weird creatures could have survived for millions of years ...

In many cases, the answer is this: they have found a niche. As a matter of fact, human civilization itself has become the niche for many species; they would not survive outside of our protective or supportive environment. Oh, what a tangled web!


Pete

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