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Evolution of the Peppered Moth
“However, due to massive increase in air pollution caused by the industrial revolution, the lichens slowly died out and the trees darkened by the soot in the atmosphere. This occurred for may decades and over time the light-colored moths, or typica, dried off due to predators such as birds and bats spotting them on the trees, and … the dark colored moths, or carbonaria, flourished.”
—Maria
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The Evolution of the Peppered Moth
By Maria
_____Maria_____
The Peppered Moth is considered a temperate Moth species and is mostly nocturnal. It is a species of European Moth that has black and white speckled wings. (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica) The wingspan of the Peppered Moth ranges from 45mm to 62mm. It is small-bodied, with long forewings. (Wikipedia Contributors, “Peppered Moth”) The wings are white with small black spots. This species exemplifies natural selection and population genetic change. (Wikipedia Contributors, “Peppered Moth”) The Peppered Moth population consists of two types of moth. The original Moth which had a white body and small black spots morphed into a Moth that’s body was fully dark with large blotting of black spots. This species changed genetically to survive throughout the course of the industrial revolution.
Figure #1: Original Peppered Moth with Wings spread out.
Natural selection has been described by Hank Green from Crash Course as “ The process by which certain inherited traits make it easier for some individuals to thrive and multiply, changing the genetic makeup of the population over time." (Green) This was first discovered by none other than Charles Darwin in 1859. Charles Darwin, a famous naturalist, demonstrated his theory of evolution with natural selection as an explanation of adaptation and specification. Charles Darwin explained the process of natural selection as “the principle by which each slight variation of a trait, if useful, is preserved". (CK-12 Foundation)
The concept was plain and simple but powerful. Individuals, such as the peppered moth, that adapted to their environments are more likely to survive and reproduce. For instance, the Peppered Moth best adapted to its environment, by changing color to match the trees it laid on so that the population of Peppered moths was more likely to survive and reproduce. And over the years that's what happened… During the Industrial revolution Peppered Moths were thought to be Native to England, specifically London as certain trees made Peppered Moths practically
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unseeable for predators like bats, and birds. Peppered Moths have been studied for over 200 years and all of the peppered moths experimented with had been collected in traps at night and many of those were eaten from tree trunks as they were glued to the trees where they were found by opportunistic birds.
_____Maria_____
The evolution of the peppered moth has been looked over by many scientists over the past two hundred years and ever since the industrial revolution began. At the start of the era, the majority of Peppered moths were light coloured with small, dark spotted wings. Their wings helped them blend in and camouflage with their surroundings. However, due to massive increase in air pollution caused by the industrial revolution, the lichens slowly died out and the trees darkened by the soot in
Figure #2: Four Morphed Peppered MothsCamouflaging into dark tree bark
the atmosphere. This occured for many decades and over time the light-colored moths, or typica, died off due to predators such as birds and bats spotting them on the trees, and the rise of the dark-colored, moths, or carbonaria, flourished. (Wikipedia Contributors, “Peppered Moth”)
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Reference List:
○ “Peppered Moth.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppered_moth. Accessed 27 May 2020.
_____Maria_____
○ Wikipedia Contributors. “Natural Selection.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection. Accessed 27 May 2020.
○ “Peppered Moth.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppered_moth. Accessed 27 May 2020.
○ Green, Hank. “Nerdfighteria Wiki - Natural Selection - Crash Course Biology #14.” Nerdfighteria.Info, Crash Course, 1 May 2012, nerdfighteria.info/v/aTftyFboC_M. Accessed 27 May 2020.
○ CK-12 Foundation. “Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.” CK-12 Foundation, CK-12 Foundation, 17 June 2017, www.ck12.org/earth-science/theory-of-evolution-by-natural-selection/lesson/The-Theoryof-Evolution-Advanced-BIO-ADV/. Accessed 27 May 2020.
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Images:
○ "Peppered Moth Biston Betularia Camouflaged On Stock Photo ...." https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/peppered-moth-biston-betularia-camouflaged -on-62065939. Accessed 26 May. 2020.
○ "Peppered Moth. Biston betularia | Cradley, Malvern, Worcs. S ...." https://www.flickr.com/photos/gails_pictures/24540903214. Accessed 26 May. 2020.
○ "Peppered Moth Biston Betularia Melanic Light Stock Photo ...." https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/peppered-moth-biston-betularia-melanic-light -681825820. Accessed 26 May. 2020.
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