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light gray peppered moth (Biston betularia)
A light gray peppered moth (Biston betularia) and a darkly pigmented variant rest near each other on the trunk of a soot-covered oak tree. Against this background, the light gray moth is more easily noticed than the darker variant.
industrial melanism
biology
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dark coloured peppered moth (Biston betularia) Against the background of a lichen-covered oak tree, a darkly pigmented peppered moth (Biston betularia) stands out, while the light gray moth (left) remains inconspicuous.
industrial melanism, the darkness—of the skin, feathers, or fur—acquired by a population of animals living in an industrial region where the environment is soot-darkened. The melanization of a population increases the probability that its members will survive and reproduce; it takes place over the course of many generations as the result of natural selection of the lighter, more conspicuous animals by predators.