The most famous example of how humans impact the evolution of animals was probably discussed in your high school history class. The color of a moth during the Industrial Revolution was determined by the level of pollution in the air. In the 1800s, when the Industrial Revolution was taking place, the air was full of pollution, as was obvious from the dark clouds of smoke surrounding English cities. A very common breed of moth present in England during the Industrial Revolution was the Peppered Moth. The Peppered Moth had two distinct colors, light and dark which can be seen below (Kettlewell, 1955).
Prior to the polluted skies, the light-colored moth was the predominant phenotype as it could more easily hide from predators in the light. A phenotype is the observable characteristics of an organism that result from the interaction of its genes.With the changing environment, the moths evolved. Since the skies were darker during the day, the dark Peppered Moths were better able to survive as they blended into the surrounding pollution. This is also an example of industrial melanism. Industrial melanism is the evolutionary effect where darker pigments become the dominant phenotype in a population due to the industrial pollution (Kettlewell, 1955). This sort of evolution was very common in insects and other similar organisms. Once the pollution in the air dissipated, the dominant phenotype again became the light-colored Peppered Moths.
Prior to the polluted skies, the light-colored moth was the predominant phenotype as it could more easily hide from predators in the light. A phenotype is the observable characteristics of an organism that result from the interaction of its genes.With the changing environment, the moths evolved. Since the skies were darker during the day, the dark Peppered Moths were better able to survive as they blended into the surrounding pollution. This is also an example of industrial melanism. Industrial melanism is the evolutionary effect where darker pigments become the dominant phenotype in a population due to the industrial pollution (Kettlewell, 1955). This sort of evolution was very common in insects and other similar organisms. Once the pollution in the air dissipated, the dominant phenotype again became the light-colored Peppered Moths.