Question

Which of the following was the most likely effect of the Industrial Revolution on peppered moths in cities?

Answer 1

The population of light-colored moths decreased and the population of dark-colored moths increased

Answer 2

The answer is d. The population of light-colored moths decreased and the population of dark-colored moths increased.

Peppered moth color variation is a good example of natural selection. During the Industrial revolution, due to pollution, trees become darker in the urban area. Light-colored moths were, thus, easy prey. The dark-colored moths were able to camouflage on dark trees and avoid predators. The phenomenon is known as industrial melanism. So, in polluted urban areas, the number of dark-colored peppered moths increased. In the clean environment, were much effective in hiding from predators and they outnumbered the dark-colored moths.