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FAQs

How did natural selection lead to more dark-colored peppered moths during the Industrial Revolution? ›

Genetic Changes

Others thought the chemicals in the smoke darkened the moths. Finally it was found that the color was genetic. Moths passed their color to the next generation. Eggs from light moths developed into light moths and dark moth eggs turned to dark adults.

These black forms (called 'melanic') are not as well camouflaged on the lichen as normal 'peppered' forms, so they are more likely to be eaten by birds and other predators. This means that fewer black forms survive to breed, so they are less common in the population than the paler peppered forms.

The morph that would be easier to see on a dark tree trunk would be a light-colored or white morph. This is because light-colored or white morphs provide a high level of contrast against a dark background, making them more visible.

Scientists have discovered the specific mutation that famously turned moths black during the Industrial Revolution. In an iconic evolutionary case study, a black form of the peppered moth rapidly took over in industrial parts of the UK during the 1800s, as soot blackened the tree trunks and walls of its habitat.

Clean forests will have mostly light peppered moths. Dark moths resting on light trees are more likely than light moths to be eaten by birds. The reverse should be true on dark trees. Dark moths in polluted forests would live longer than light moths, but dark moths in clean forests would die sooner.

For example, evolving long necks has enabled giraffes to feed on leaves that others can't reach, giving them a competitive advantage. Thanks to a better food source, those with longer necks were able to survive to reproduce and so pass on the characteristic to the succeeding generation.

Natural selection postulates that individuals with traits that are most beneficial in their environment reproduce more prolifically, and this leads to that trait becoming more common in the population in the next generation. This increase in frequency of a trait is evolutionary change.

The evolution of the peppered moth is an evolutionary instance of directional colour change in the moth population as a consequence of air pollution during the Industrial Revolution. The frequency of dark-coloured moths increased at that time, an example of industrial melanism.

When the environment changed, due to pollution, the moth population shifted because light-colored moths became easier to see so they were eaten more often. Organisms that survive have a better chance of reproducing so the population continues to grow.

Bacterial Diseases

Poor hygiene around trees creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria that eventually attack trees, causing barks to turn black. One such disease caused by erwina amylovora bacteria is fire blight. Another common tree disease, bacterial wetwood, makes trees appear black as well.

What is the darker wood in the center of a tree trunk? ›

Heartwood: The heartwood is dead sapwood in the center of the trunk. It is the hardest wood of the tree giving it support and strength. It is usually darker in colour than the sapwood.

But as the Industrial revolution began to really take off in the 1800s, pollution from the dense industrial smoke and soot killed off lichens and darkened tree trunks and walls in towns and cities. As a result, the paler moths became more visible to predators, while the darker variety became more camouflaged.

The evolution of the peppered moth is an evolutionary instance of directional colour change in the moth population as a consequence of air pollution during the Industrial Revolution. The frequency of dark-coloured moths increased at that time, an example of industrial melanism.

Natural selection has favored the dark form of the peppered moth in areas subject to severe air pollution, perhaps because on darkened trees, moth - eating birds see them less easily.

The dark pepper moth flourished after the Industrial Revolution primarily due to the darkening of the tree bark. During the Industrial Revolution, factories emitted large amounts of soot that settled on trees, killing the lichens that covered them and darkening the trunks.