Name: ____________________ Date: ____________________________ Period: __________ The Peppered Moth
Introduction: Today you will be learning about another example of evolution by natural selection. Similar to antibiotic resistance, this evolution took place over a short amount of time. During the 1950s, Dr. Kettlewell collected data about the evolution of the peppered moth population in England. In 1848, a dark­coloured moth was first recorded. Today, in some areas, 90% or more of the­peppered moths are dark in colour. More than 70 species of moth in England have undergone a change from light to dark. Similar observations have been made in other nations, including the United States. Purpose: 1. What caused the evolution of the peppered moth population? 2. How is this an example of natural selection? 3. Remember to keep in mind V.O.S.T.! Procedure: 1. Click the link on the website (http://peppermoths.weebly.com/) 2. Go through the pages in order (from left to right) to learn about the peppered moth evolution and carry out the peppered moth simulation. Life Cycle of the Peppered Moth 1. Why are these moths called "peppered moths?" 2. What animals eat the peppered moth? 3. What is a lichen? 4. How long do peppered moths live for? Impact of Pollution 5. Where was the first black form of the moth found? 6. What was the Industrial Revolution? 7. What was causing the different colors in the moths? 8. What is natural selection? Kettlewell's Experiments 9. What is an entomologist? 10. Write down ONE of Kettlewell's predictions. 11. Dark moths were found in what parts of the country? 12. Why did dark moths have a survival advantage? 13. When Kettlewell recaptured the marked moths, what did he find? Birdseye View Open the simulation and play the role of the bird in both the dark and the light forest. Try to behave as a bird would behave, choosing the moths that you can see the most easily. At the end of each simulation, record the percent of moths captured in the table below. Final Analysis 1.How is the evolution of the pepppered moth an example of natural selection? 2. Complete a V.O.S.T. to show your understanding of how the moth population evolved: Variation Overproduction (Competition) Selection (Natural Selection) Time 3. Complete the google survey on the website.