Current Events: Evolution in the Peppered Moth

Can you see the black moth?

          The peppered moth is one of the many examples of evolution in the wild.  Before the 19th century in Britain, the most commonly seen kind of moth was pale in color.  There was a very small percentage of dark or black moths, but almost all of them were lighter.  The pale moths were not very easily seen against pale backgrounds, whereas the dark ones stood out.  However, after the 19th century, Britain began producing more and more pollution, causing the death of pale lichens on trees where the moths lived and turning their bark black.  Consequently, the whiter moths showed up very well on the dark trees and became easy prey.  The black moths were not as easily spotted on the dark bark as the pale ones, and were not caught and eaten as often as the pale ones, and black soon grew to become the more common color of moths.  However, since the amount of pollution has decreased from the 19th century, the number of pale moths has risen again and the black moth population has gone down. 
          As you can see, these moths have evolved to fit their surroundings.  If they had all stayed white when the trees turned black, the entire moth population could have been wiped out by predators.  Because they evolved to become black to match the color of their habitats, the moths survived.  This is an example of evolution.

For more information, go to: http://www.truthinscience.org.uk/tis2/index.php/component/content/article/127.html