Evolution ~ Peppered Moth

The evolution of the peppered moth is an evolutionary instance of colour variation in the moth population as a consequence of the Industrial Revolution.

It is the first recorded and experimented case of Charles Darwin's natural selection in action, and remains as a classic example in the teaching of evolution.

The dark-coloured or melanic moths were not known prior to 1811.

The evolutionary importance of the moth was only speculated upon during Darwin's lifetime.

Before the Industrial Revolution, the black peppered moth was rare.

Bernard Kettlewell was the first to investigate the evolutionary mechanism behind peppered moth adaptation, between 1953 and 1956.