After 5 years, select the TABLE tab and record the percentages of each moth type. Record this information
into the table below. These numbers represent the percentage of moths at the end of each year.
Dark moths
Light moths
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Year 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Dark moths = 50%, 46%, 45%, 38%, 32%, 0%
Light moths = 50%, 54%, 55%, 62%, 68%, 100%
1. Analyze: What do your results show?
2. Apply: Which variety of moth do you think was more common before the 19th century, when most trees
were light in color?
1. The results show that over the course of 5 years, the population of dark moths decreases while the population of light moths increases. By the end of the 5-year period, all the dark moths have disappeared and the population is 100% light moths.
2. Based on the data provided, it can be inferred that before the 19th century when most trees were light in color, the variety of moth that was more common was the light moths. This is because the population of light moths consistently increases over the 5-year period, while the population of dark moths consistently decreases.