The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Of course. Here is the correct answer and a detailed explanation.
Correct Answer: The dark-colored moth was able to blend in better with the sooty environment, and the light-colored moth was easier for predators to see.
Explanation
The provided answer is correct because it accurately describes the process of natural selection as it applied to the peppered moth population during the Industrial Revolution. This phenomenon, known as industrial melanism, serves as a classic example of evolution in action.
Before the widespread pollution of the Industrial Revolution, the environment favored the light-colored, or typica, form of the peppered moth. Tree trunks were generally light in color and covered with pale lichens, providing excellent camouflage for the light moths from predatory birds. The dark-colored, or melanic, form of the moth existed in the population but was very rare. Its dark color made it stand out against the light background, so predators easily spotted and consumed these moths, keeping their numbers low.
The Industrial Revolution dramatically altered this environment. Factories released enormous amounts of soot, which settled on the surrounding landscape. This pollution killed the light-colored lichens and coated tree bark in a dark layer of soot. Suddenly, the environmental conditions were reversed. The light-colored moths became highly visible against the new, dark background, making them easy prey. In contrast, the dark-colored moths were now perfectly camouflaged.
This change created a strong selective pressure. The dark moths had a higher survival rate because they could “blend in better,” as the answer states. Consequently, they were more likely to live long enough to reproduce and pass the gene for dark coloration to their offspring. Over generations, the frequency of the dark moth variant in the population increased significantly, while the light-colored variant became rare in these industrial areas. The change catered to the dark moth by making its pre-existing trait advantageous for survival.
