What is the difference between select for vs select?
When people started to plant stored seed stock deliberately, they also began protecting their plants. This changed the evolutionary pressure that these food plants experienced, as they no longer had to survive in a natural environment. Instead people created a new environment for them, and selected for other characteristics than what nature previously had. Seeds recovered at archaeological sites clearly show that early farmers selected for larger seeds and thinner coats.

What is the difference between select for vs select?

I don't know why the writer used "selected for other characteristics" instead of selected other chracteristics.

Could you explain it to me?

Question

What is the difference between select for vs select?
When people started to plant stored seed stock deliberately, they also began protecting their plants. This changed the evolutionary pressure that these food plants experienced, as they no longer had to survive in a natural environment. Instead people created a new environment for them, and selected for other characteristics than what nature previously had. Seeds recovered at archaeological sites clearly show that early farmers selected for larger seeds and thinner coats.

What is the difference between select for vs select?

I don't know why the writer used "selected for other characteristics" instead of selected other chracteristics.

Could you explain it to me?

Answer

We use "select for" when talking about breeding animals or plants or about evolution and natural selection.

select for + a characteristic or trait

Some types of dogs have been deliberately bred over centuries to, for example, be good at guarding sheep.  The traits that make dogs good at guarding sheep have been selected for.   In other words, humans have picked the animals which best display those traits and bred them together.

The natural process of evolution has also selected for certain traits.  Biological characteristics in animals have become more common (selected for) or less common (selected against) over millions of years of natural selection.

I suppose the difference between 'select for' in this sense and 'select' is that it is not 100% guaranteed process.  You can only select for certain characteristic (favour them, try to enhance them), you can't guarantee the outcome.  If you 'select' something it implies you have control over the outcome - I want THAT one - but 'select for' implies you are setting up the best conditions for your favoured outcome but it might take a long time and a lot of stops and starts to get there.

Hope that makes some kind of sense, Terry.

Answer

"Selected for" is a technical term in the process of changing or improving an plant or other species. The farmer or scientist selects for certain characteristics. He may want a taller plant so he selects seeds from taller plants and grows them. This is the process of selecting for a characteristics.

"Select for a characteristic" and "select a characteristic" mean two different things. To select for is a two step process which may or may not be successful. To select a characteristic implies a more direct (single step) action and is not, technically, correct under the circumstances described. The difference is subtle.