Directions: For this mini-practical you are going to be looking at a phenomenon known as industrial melanism. Populations evolve and change in response to environmental pressures. Better adapted individuals survive, while the less “fit” individuals die off, and their traits die off with them. Natural selection is driven by environmental pressures, and sometimes those environmental pressures are human-caused.
“Industrial melanism is adaptive melanism caused by anthropogenic [human-caused] alteration of the natural environment in terms of industrial pollution. As soot, smoke and other industrial pollutants from factories darken the landscape and because many organisms rely on camouflage to avoid predation, this sudden change in their environment makes them highly vulnerable to predators. This creates a strong selective pressure which will see any organism with a darker colour much more likely to survive and contribute to the gene pool of the next generation,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanism#Industrial_melanism).
The Industrial Revolution brought tremendous change to Europe and the US, and many of the changes that allowed for major advances in technology and manufacturing also led to significant environmental changes. Some of those changes impacted the evolution of certain species. A particularly striking example of the impact of industrial pollution is the industrial melanism seen in peppered moths in England.
You will do a simulation looking at a “bird’s eye view” of peppered moths in light and dark forests. You will need to read through the first few presentations in order to understand industrial melanism and the research that led to our understanding of the phenomenon. Once you have finished reading, then you can do the “bird’s eye view” simulation. After you have finished the simulation, then answer the questions that follow.
“Peppered Moths: Natural Selection in Black and White”
Peppered Moth Simulation Questions
- Explain how industrial melanism is powerful evidence supporting the theory of evolution. Be very detailed in your explanation.
- Discuss the significance of humans’ impact on the natural world, in particular our ability to alter the evolution of species. In your answer, address what ethical obligations, if any, we have to other species.