A student read about the peppered moth, a species whose population changed over a period of time. Before the Industrial Revolution, dark-colored moths were rare. During the Industrial Revolution, however, the population of dark-colored moths greatly increased. The student incorrectly thought that the reason for the increase in dark-colored moths was soot that got onto the wings of the light-colored moths. She thought this new coloring was then passed on to the offspring of the light-colored moths.

Question

Which statement should be used to explain to the student the correct reason for how this population changed because of the Industrial Revolution?

Answer 1

The increase in dark-colored moths during the Industrial Revolution was actually due to natural selection. The dark-colored moths had a survival advantage in areas with soot-covered trees because they were better camouflaged from predators, allowing them to survive and reproduce more successfully than the light-colored moths. Over time, this led to an increase in the population of dark-colored moths and a decrease in the population of light-colored moths. This change in population was due to genetic variation in the moth population and the process of natural selection, rather than soot causing a change in the moth's coloring that was passed on to offspring.