Melanism and morphs The genetics behind the peppered moth story

摘要

Peppered moths (Biston betularia) are small night-flying insects, found all across the world. They spend their days evading predators by settling on the trunks and branches of trees, relying on their mottled-white wings for camouflage. In 1848, a much darker moth was spotted by an English naturalist called R. S. Edleston. The black wings of this new form, which Edleston called carbonaria, stood out against the pale bark in his Manchester garden. Rapid industrialisation later brought wide-scale pollution to many UK cities, with soot and grime blackening the buildings and trees. This change in environment set the stage for one of the most famous examples of evolutionary change.