Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.
...of interbreeding individuals—i.e., a breed or strain within a breed that is different in some aspects from other breeds or strains. Typically, certain animals within a breed are designated as purebred. The essential difference between purebred and nonpurebred animals is that the genealogy of purebred animals has been carefully recorded, usually in a herd book, or studbook, kept by some...
Purebred production, or line breeding, is used to concentrate desired genes—for example, litter size or growth rate—within a population of animals. White pig breeds are generally noted for large litters (a maternal characteristic) and coloured breeds for rapid growth and meat quality (paternal characteristics).
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