The Peppered Moth: Decline of a Darwinian Disciple

摘要

The rise of the black, carbonaria form of the peppered moth, Biston betularia, in response to changes in the environment caused by the industrial revolution in the UK, is one of the best-known examples of evolution in action. The reasons for the prominence of this example are three-fold. 1. The rise was spectacular, occurred in the recent and well-documented past, and was timely: the first record of an individual of carbonaria being published by Edleston in 1864, just 5 years after the Origin of Species (Darwin, 1859). 2. The difference in the forms was obvious. While many other examples of natural selection have been documented since the peppered moth story became widely known, including the evolution of beak size in Darwin's finches and numerous cases of antibiotic and pesticide resistance, these cases do not have the visual impact of the peppered moth. 3. The major mechanism through which carbonaria rose is easy to both relate and understand.