Industrial Melanisms in the Peppered Moth Investigation

Ms. Buie Rageni Reddy 14/10/2011 SIB3U1

Hypotheses: 1) For the Pre-Industrial Revolution habitat, the Melanic moths were
predicted to have a higher loss than that of the Light Coloured moths because they are more noticeable on a white background in comparison to the Colour moths. 2) For the Early Industrial Revolution habitat, the Melanic and Light Coloured moths were predicted to have an even amount of the number of moths lost because of the lack of extreme contrast for the background. 3) For the Post-Industrial Revolution, the Light Coloured moths were predicted to have a higher loss of moths than the Melanic because they are more noticeable on a black background the Melanic moths.

Materials:
Light Colour Tree Bark (Pre-Industrial Revolution Habitat) Intermediate Colour Tree Bark (Early Industrial Revolution Habitat) Dark Colour Tree Bark (Post-Industrial Revolution Habitat) 30 Light Coloured Paper Moths (Light Coloured Moths) 30 Dark Coloured Paper Moths (Melanic Moths) Timer

Procedure: Refer to page 7 on handout given. Observations: Refer to tables 1-3 and graphs 1-3 at the end of this
report.

Conclusion: In conclusion my hypothesis were mostly correct, for the

Pre-Industrial Revolution simulation the Melanic moths were more affected by predation, and in the Post-Industrial Revolution simulation the Light Coloured moths were more affected by predation. With the Early Industrial Revolution simulation, the survival rates for both moths were not exactly even, but were closer in range to each other than the other two simulations.

Analysis: b) See tables 1-3 at the end of this report. c) See graphs 1-3 at the end of this report. d) Within the Pre-Industrial Revolution habitat the Light Coloured
moths were more successful in avoiding predation, and within the Post Industrial Revolution habitat the Melanic moths were more successful in avoiding predation.

e) Based on the observations, I would say natural selection occurred

in the moth populations because when doing the simulation with the Pre-Industrial Revolution the Melanic moths had a higher loss because of their contrast with the white background. The dark coloured moths were more easily seen than the white moths on the white paper. The same thing occurred with the Post-Industrial Revolution simulation, just vice versa because of the black background.

Evaluation: f) The purpose of using an intermediate-coloured background was to

see how the moths favoured in terms of their survival rates when neither of them had an advantage over one another. g) Errors could have occurred when timing the trials for each simulation; some trials were a little more than ten seconds, and some were a little less than ten seconds- and this could have affected the number of moths that survived for each simulation. Also, a few times more than one moth was taken at a time, which also could have affected the survival rate of the moths. h) An improvement could be that the shape and material of the moths could be changed, allowing for easy manoeuvrability and more efficient results.

Synthesis: i) If the frogs had no distinct colour markings on them, predators

would see that the frogs are not poisonous and would therefore hunt more of them. The frogs rely on their markings for a main part of their defensive skills; the bright colours are warnings to predators and other animals that they are poisonous and that the animals should stay away for their own safety. j) The moths need to adapt to their environments in order to survive; a dark coloured moth on a light coloured background, such as a tree will have a much higher chance of becoming prey to many predators around. If the moth becomes lighter or adapts to their surroundings, they will have a higher chance at surviving, rather than the dark moth on the light background. k) If the Peppered moths did not evolve, the population of them would decrease drastically, and keep decreasing until they were extinct because they would be the easiest species to find and eat, in comparison to the moths that have evolved and developed to survive the conditions. l) Industrial melanism is the occurrence of an increased amount of dark pigment, caused by anthropogenic 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. Natural selection is resulted, with the darker coloured organisms having a much higher survival rate for the next generations.