Week 10 Lab B worksheet-2 PDF

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Lab b...

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Peppered Moth Simulation

Objective: Simulate changes in moth population due to pollution and predation, and observe how species can change over time.

Introduction: Charles Darwin accumulated a tremendous collection of facts to support the theory of evolution by natural selection. One of his difficulties in demonstrating the theory, however, was the lack of an example of evolution over a short period of time, which could be observed as it was taking place in nature. Although Darwin was unaware of it, remarkable examples of evolution, which might have helped to persuade people of his theory, were in the countryside of his native England. One such example is the evolution of the peppered moth Biston betularia.

The economic changes known as the industrial revolution began in the middle of the eighteenth century. Since then, tons of soot has been deposited on the country side around industrial areas. The soot discolored and generally darkened the surfaces of trees and rocks. In 1848, a darkcolored moth was first recorded. Today, in some areas, 90% or more of the-peppered moths are dark in color. More than 70 species of moth in England have undergone a change from light to

dark. Similar observations have been made in other industrial nations, including the United States.

Life Cycle of the Peppered Moth

1. Why are these moths called "peppered moths?"

Because their wings resemble peppers. They are often light and speckled

2. What animals eat the peppered moth?

Pepper Moths eat flycatchers, nuthatches, and the European Robin.

3. What is lichen?

Lichen is a small fungus.

4. What do the larvae of the moth eat?

The larvae moth eats birch, willow, and oak leaves.

5. How do peppered moths spend the winter?

During the winter the pepper moths spend their time in a cocoon also known as a pupae.

6. Moths that have more dark spots than the average moth are called what?

Moths that have more dark spots than the average moth are called Carbonia.

Impact of Pollution

7. Where was the first black form of the moth found?

The first black moth was found in the Center of Manchester, England.

8. What was the Industrial Revolution?

The Industrial Revolution consisted of more technologies and factories and less manual labor and individualized farming. Man labor was reduced with machinery allowing more supply to be made with the same working power.

9. What was causing the different colors in the moths?

The changes of different colors of the moth were genetic; however, some believed that it was pollution and climate change related.

10. What is natural selection?

Natural selection is how organism evolves and transfers in their environment.

11. Who suggested that peppered moths were an example of natural selection?

The person that suggested that peppered moth were part of natural selection was J.W. Tutt.

12. What is industrial melanism?

The industrial melanism is the concept of how things have darkened due to pollution of forest over time. One example of industrial melanism is the Pepper Moth; they have darkened overtime due to the polluted rainforest.

Kettlewell's Experiments

13. What is an entomologist?

An entomologist is a person that studies insects and their habitat from birth to death.

14. How do scientists test theories?

Scientist test theories through hypothesis, as well as through wildlife. They are often the first to be impacted. For example, a scientist who hypothesize that the climate has changed, would utilize the earth resources as well as the animals to see if there is any changes that correlates with their theory.

15. Write down ONE of Kettlewell's predictions.

One of Kettlewell’s predictions is that the heavier and polluted the rainforest is, the darker the pepper moth will be.

16. Dark moths were found in what parts of the country?

Dark Moths are often found in rural cities where there are Industrial factories, high pollution, and polluted rainforest.

17. How did Kettlewell’s directly study the moths?

Kettlewell’s directly studied the moths by placing both the dark peppered and light pepper next to each other and studied the similarities’ and differences of the peppered moth.

18. Why did dark moths have a survival advantage?

The dark moths have a survival advantage because their dark colors make it difficult for other preys to catch them, whereas the light color moths are easier to spot due to their bright colors.

19. When Kettlewell’s recaptured the marked moths, what did he find?

Kettlewell’s recaptured the marked moths because he realized that the moth civilization was more likely to be stabled if they matched the environment. If the environment is dark and the moth is darker in complexion, their matching consistency will aid them to survival in the rain forest.

20. Where did Kettlewell’s publish his findings?

Kettlewell’s published his finding in many articles and journals. However, the Peppered Moth finding can be found in 1959, the Scientific American, or it can also be accessed through EBSCO Host.

Final Analysis 21. Explain how the color of the moths increases or decreases their chances of survival.

The moth color can increase or decrease their chances of survival. Due to the increase of pollution, the climate, rainforest, and civilization have become darker in color. To increase the survival of the peppered moth, their darker color allows them to hide and maneuver faster from their predators. However, the lighter moths in today’s era have a harder time to maintain survival rate due to their bright complexion makes it easy for predators to spot and eat them.

23. Explain the concept of "natural selection" using your moths as an example.

Natural selection is a process that occurs as a result of change in climate and surrounding. A change that has occurred is the rainforest being more polluted. As a result of these changes, the peppered moth has become darker as a result of the climate change. A natural selection is often part of a genetic concept; however, these genes in the peppered moth have become darker and more cohesive to react to the changes of the peppered moth. The evolvement of the peppered moth colors has allowed them to blend with the trees in the rainforest, therefore increasing the peppered moth rate survival rate in the rainforest or high Industrial areas.

24. What would happen if there were no predators in the forest? Would the colors of the moths change over time? Defend your answer?

If there were no predators in the forest the supply of the moths would be overpopulated. Moth’s colors would change overtime because there would be an abundance of both light and dark peppered moths. I do believed that due to natural selection, they would collide with each other producing a combination of both light and dark peppered moth changing their colors to more of a light gray or a median color due to their mating process....