Question

how do these moths fare in their new sooty environment?

as it turns out, there are actually three forms of peppered moths:

• typica (white) peppered moths–pale, speckled moths
• insularia (grey) peppered moths–grayish, slightly darker moths
• carbonaria (black) peppered moths–rare, black moths

during the industrial revolution, scientists like e.b. ford began noticing a change in how often they saw each form.

given the factory - produced soot that covering most surfaces in industrial areas during the time, what pattern did e.b. ford most likely notice?

select only the best answer.

• the carbonaria form died out, while the insularia form became rare and the typica form thrived.
• all three forms of moth became more equal in frequency.
• the typica and carbonaria forms became less frequent, while the insularia form dominated.
• the typica form became less frequent, the insularia form didnt change much and the carbonaria form dominated.

Explanation:

This is about natural selection. Sooty environment (dark surfaces) would make dark moths (carbonaria) camouflaged, so they survive more and reproduce. Light moths (typica) are visible to predators, so their frequency drops. Insularia (grey) is intermediate, so its frequency changes little. So the pattern is typica less frequent, insularia little change, carbonaria dominated.

Answer:

The typica form became less frequent, the insularia form didn't change much and the carbonaria form dominated.