RS Edleston was an English naturalist who studied insects in the 1800s. In 1848 he recorded an unusual discovery in his journal. “Today I caught an almost totally black form of Biston betularia (peppered moth) near the centre of Manchester.” This is the first recorded sighting of a dark peppered moth. What was rare in 1848 became common over the next fifty years. By 1900, the peppered moth populations in areas around English cities were as much as 98% dark moths. During that time, England was experiencing what is known as the Industrial Revolution. Factories were being built, and they ran by burning coal for fuel. The result was a dark smoke that covered the surrounding countryside. Trees that had been light and covered by lichens now were dark and bare.
Q- Using evidence from the text and today’s lesson, explain why the dark peppered moth population increased to 98% by 1900.
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