Peppered Moths—Evolution in Action?

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Have you ever heard of the peppered moth? It’s a supposed example of evolution often used in biology classrooms.

Here’s the story in many textbooks: Before the Industrial Revolution, birds saw and then ate more of the dark variety of peppered moths sitting on tree trunks. Then, as pollution increased, they saw more of the light ones, and the population shifted to mostly dark moths. Then, as pollution declined, it shifted back to light moths again. It’s…evolution in action?

No, it’s just an example of natural selection. The variety of moth color from dark to light was already there—nothing new was added!

Dig Deeper

• Peppered Moths . . . Evidence for Evolution?
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