Information Related to "Mothballing Evolution's Peppered Moths"
| Audio/Video |
A number of years ago, I distinctly remember going through some of the supposed "proofs" of evolution in my high school biology class that seemed to be quite convincing at the time.
One of those that caught my attention was the evidence of peppered moths changing their color from light to dark due to industrial pollution. This supposedly shows how natural selection can change a species into another type, and
eminent scientists have emphasized the importance of this supposed proof of evolution.
Professor John Maynard Smith stated: "We should expect to find the most rapid evolutionary changes in populations suddenly exposed to new conditions. It is therefore natural that one of the most striking changes which has been observed in a wild population...is the phenomenon of 'industrial melanism,' the appearance and spread of dark forms of a number of species of moths" (The Theory of Evolution, 1966, p. 137).
Sir Gavin De Beer, writing in The Encyclopaedia Britannica, said, "One of the most striking examples of observable evolution is the phenomenon known as industrial melanism" (1974, Vol. 7, "Evolution," p. 14).
As I glanced at a recent biology book, I noticed that the same evidence I read many years ago was still being given today. Here is a summary from the textbook Biology, by John Kimball (online version), updated in 2006:
Many species of moths in the British Isles began to become darker in color in the 19th century.
The best-studied example is the peppered moth, Biston betularia. The moth gets its name from the scattered dark markings on its wings and body.
In 1849, a coal-black mutant was found near Manchester, England. Within a century, this black form had increased to 90% of the population in this region.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Table of Contents that includes "Mothballing Evolution's Peppered Moths"
Other Articles by Mario Seiglie
Evolution and biology: