Student Exploration: Natural Selection

Make sure you complete Activity A, B & C in order to receive full credit.

Vocabulary: biological evolution, camouflage, Industrial Revolution, lichen, morph, natural

selection, peppered moth

Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)

The peppered moth (Biston betularia) is a common moth

found in Europe, Asia, and North America. It is commonly
found in two forms, or morphs: a dark morph and a light,
speckled morph. Birds are a frequent predator of the
peppered moth.

1. Which morph do you think would be easier to see on a

dark tree trunk? Type your response in the box

The lighter one would be easier to see on a dark tree

color

2. Which morph do you think would be easier to see on a

light tree trunk? Type your response in the box.

The darker one is going to show up on a lighter tree

How many moths can you find?

Gizmo Warm-up

The Natural Selection Gizmo allows you to play the

role of a bird feeding on peppered moths. The
initial population of 40 moths is scattered over 20
tree trunks. Click on moths to capture them. Click
the Next tree button (or the spacebar on your
keyboard) to advance to the next tree.
1. Check that LIGHT TREES is selected. Click Play ( ),
and hunt moths for one year. Complete the table below

A. How many dark moths did you capture? 7

B. How many light moths did you capture? 5

C. Camouflage is coloring or patterns that help The lighter ones

an organism to blend in with the background. camouflage better.
Which type of moth is better camouflaged on
light bark?

2. If a forest contained mostly light-colored trees, which type of moth would you expect to
be most common? Type your response in the box.

I would think lighter colored ones would be more common due to being able to
camouflage on light colored trees.

Get the Gizmo ready:

Activity A:
● Click Reset ( ).
Light trees
● Check that the LIGHT TREES tab is selected.

Introduction: Before the 19th century in England, the air was very clean. The bark on trees
was usually light in color. Abundant lichens growing on tree trunks also lightened their
appearance.

Question: How does the color of a peppered moth affect survival?

1. Predict: Over time, what will happen to the populations of light and dark moths on light
trees? Type your response in the box.

Overtime I think that the light one's population is going to increase while on the other
hand the darker ones population decreases.

2. Experiment: Click Play and hunt peppered moths on light tree trunks for five years. In
each year, try to capture as many moths as you can. Note: You can use the spacebar on
your keyboard to quickly advance to the next tree.

After 5 years, select the TABLE tab and record the percentages of each moth type. Note:
The table shows current populations of each moth, not the number of captured moths.
Record your data in the table below:

Year Dark moths Light moths

 0 50% 50%
1 45% 55%
2 23% 77%
3 26% 74%

4 25% 75%
5 14% 86%

3. Analyze: What do your results show? Type your response in the box.

The results show that the population of dark moth started becoming lower on the other
hand when the lighter population began to increase.

4. Apply: Which type of moth do you think was more common before the 19th century,
when most trees were light in color? Type your response in the box.

The type of moth that was most common is

Get the Gizmo ready:

Activity B:
● Click Reset.
Dark trees
● Select the DARK TREES tab.

Introduction: The 19th century was the time of the Industrial Revolution in England. Most
of the new industries used coal for energy, and the air was polluted with black soot. In
forests near factories, the soot coated trees and killed lichens. As a result, tree trunks
became darker.

Question: How did air pollution affect moth populations?

1. Predict: Over time, what will happen to the populations of light and dark moths on dark
trees? Type your response in the box:

2. Experiment: Click Play and hunt peppered moths on dark tree trunks for five years. In
each year, try to capture as many moths as you can.

When you are done, select the TABLE tab and record the percentages of each moth type.
Note: The table shows current populations of each moth, not the number of captured
moths. Record your data in the table below:
 Year Dark moths Light moths
0

3. Analyze: What do your results show about the two morphs in this population?
Type your response in the box.

4. Apply: Which type of moth was more common during the 19th century?
Type your response in the box.

What scientific reasoning can you provide to explain why you answered the way you did?
Type your response in the box.

5. Draw conclusions: Natural selection is the process by which favorable traits tend to
increase in frequency over time. How does this experiment illustrate natural selection
Type your response in the box.

6. Think and discuss:

a. Did the changes you observed in the moth populations result from individual moths
changing colors? Type your response in the box.

b. Or did they occur because the best-hidden moths survived and reproduced, passing on
their colors to their offspring? Explain your answer. Type your response in the box.
7. Extend your thinking: Biological evolution is the process by which populations of
organisms change over time. How could natural selection lead to evolution? Type your
response in the box.

READ PART C

Activity C - Scientific Background

The story of the peppered moth, Biston betularia, is one of

the best-known examples of natural selection in action. The
peppered moth is common in Europe, North America, and
Asia. It shelters on trees during the day and is eaten by birds.
Peppered moths are found in three forms, or morphs:

● Biston betularia morpha typica is light gray in color

and speckled.
● Biston betularia morpha carbonaria is dark gray in
color.
● Biston betularia morpha insularia is intermediate in color. (This morph is not shown
in the Natural Selection Gizmo.)

Prior to 1800, the LIGHT (typica) morph was much more common than the DARK
(carbonaria) morph in the English countryside. The speckled-gray moths blended in well
with light-colored tree bark and lichens. The dark carbonaria form contrasted with the tree
bark, making it easier to spot.

During the 1800s, the Industrial Revolution changed the landscape of England. New
coal-powered factories spewed tons of dirty smoke into the air, blanketing the forests with
soot. The lichens on tree trunks died, and tree trunks were darkened. When this happened,
the typica form was easier to spot than the carbonaria form, and as a result more were
eaten. By 1895, dark moths accounted for nearly 100% of the total population in some
forests. The pattern of darkening is described by the term industrial melanism.
Throughout the 20th century, air quality improved, trees became lighter in color, and the
proportion of typica moths increased. Today, carbonaria is almost as rare as it was before
the Industrial Revolution.

_____ Check off that you have read this section.