AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Prior to the industrial revolution in England (pre-1740), the peppered moth was found almost entirely in its light form (light body colored with black spots). The moths would spend daylight hours on trees covered by light colored lichen, their light colors giving them almost perfect camouflage against predatory birds.

Detailed explanation-2: -From Light to Dark Moths Moth collectors in England noted that most peppered moths collected in the early 1800’s were light gray peppered with bits of black. Many years later most of the moths collected were almost completely black.

Detailed explanation-3: -This is the first recorded sighting of a dark peppered moth. What was rare in 1848 became common over the next fifty years. By 1900, the peppered moth populations in areas around English cities were as much as 98% dark moths. Scientists became curious why this was happening.

Detailed explanation-4: -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.

Detailed explanation-5: -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.