During the Industrial Revolution in England, burning coal increased the soot level in the air, and the soot darkened the tree bark. As a result, the population of dark-colored peppered moths significantly increased.

Question

Which statement describes the MOST LIKELY reason why the population of dark-colored peppered moths increased?

Light-colored peppered moths migrated to areas with less pollution.

Dark-colored peppered moths had a genetic variation that provided better coverage from predators in their changing environment.

Changes to the peppered moths' diet caused an increase of pigment that led to a darker color.

Light-colored peppered moths were better adapted than dark-colored peppered moths.

Answer 1

The statement that describes the MOST LIKELY reason why the population of dark-colored peppered moths increased is:

Dark-colored peppered moths had a genetic variation that provided better coverage from predators in their changing environment.

This reflects the concept of natural selection, where the darker moths were better camouflaged against the soot-darkened tree bark, making them less visible to predators, which allowed them to survive and reproduce more successfully than their lighter-colored counterparts.