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Question 40 of 50

Q.Industrial melanism is an example of

(a) Divergent evolution
(b) Convergent evolution
(c) Natural selection
(d) Mutation
West Bengal WbchseWest Bengal HS (WBCHSE) Board 2023MCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★
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Industrial melanism (the peppered moth, Biston betularia, turning darker in polluted industrial areas) is a classic demonstration of natural selection favouring the phenotype best camouflaged against predators.

Before the Industrial Revolution in England, the light-coloured (speckled) form of the peppered moth was common because it was well camouflaged on lichen-covered, light-coloured tree bark, while the rare dark (melanic) form was easily spotted and eaten by birds. As industrial pollution blackened tree trunks (soot killed the lichens), the dark form became better camouflaged and the light form became conspicuous:

  • Predatory birds selectively ate the light-coloured moths that stood out against the sooty bark.
  • The dark-coloured moths survived and reproduced more, so their frequency in the population increased dramatically. …

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