The melanic carbonaria peppered moth (left) and the more common light-colored typica (right).WIKIPEDIA
Although the peppered moth has been the poster child of Darwinian evolution since the late 19th century, over the past decade there’s been a public debate questioning the validity of this textbook example. In particular, scientist questioned whether birds were really the agents selecting between the light– and dark-colored moths, which rest on light or soot-covered trees, among other things.
To lay the matter to rest, a late evolutionary biologist from the University of Cambridge, Michael Majerus, carried out a 7-year study in a hamlet close to his home in Cambridge, England, the results of which were published yesterday (February 8) in Biology Letters.
“These data provide the most direct evidence yet to implicate camouflage and bird predation as the overriding explanation for the rise ...
