why would dark moths have an advantage

Dark moths have an advantage because of the change in environmental conditions to favor their darker color. Where was the first black form of the moth found.

The Peppered Moth And Industrial Melanism Testing An Iconic Example Of Evolution In Action Nature Portfolio Ecology Evolution Community

Pollution didnt make the moths black.

. Why did dark moths have a survival advantage. As predicted by the theory the number of dark moths are dropping as the forests become cleaner. Moths that have more dark spots than the average moth are called what. Over 100 other species of moth were observed to darken over time in polluted forests.

All living things respond to natural selection. The light-colored moths were not able to blend in well with the dark trees which would give them away to predators but the dark-colored moths were able to blend in with the dark trees but not the light ones since they would stand out to predators this is why the light moths survived more in the clean forests and the dark moths survived more in the polluted dark tree forest. Dark moths survive better in a forest with dark trees because their wings blend in camouflaging them from predators. The situation is particularly bad in southern Britain where moth numbers are down by 40.

Explain the concept of natural selection using your moths as an example. Many individual species have declined dramatically in recent decades and over 60 became extinct in the 20th century. This means these light moths can easily be seen. Did pollution make the moths black.

The darker moths have more of a chance of surviving in their environment. Scientists call this effect industrial melanism. Moths are declining in the UK. It just gave a cloaking advantage to any moths that carried the genetic change that turned their wings black.

During the industrial revolution factories were built for burning coal for fuel and the smoke covered the surrounding countryside. Trees that had been light and covered in lichens were now dark and bare. Natural selection is still at work in the. And when the pollution disappeared so did the dark moths advantage.

Then blended in with the dark tree trunks while the light moths stood out. Dark moths on dark trees are less likely to be eaten by birds Light moths on light trees are less likely to be eaten by birds Dark moths released into polluted forest live longer than light moths. He recognized that the camouflage of the light moth no longer worked in the dark forest. So these moths were able to reproduce adapting to the new environment.

If their wings were a different color their chances of survival would decrease. Studies have found the overall number of moths has decreased by 28 since 1968. Near the center of Manchester. Dark moths live longer in a dark forest so they had more time to breed.