What is industrial melanism?

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Industrial melanism is a phenomenon in which organisms, particularly insects, birds, and other animals, adapt to their environment by developing dark coloration due to exposure to pollution and other environmental factors associated with industrialization. This adaptation helps these organisms blend in better with the polluted environment, providing them with a higher chance of survival and reproduction. An example of industrial melanism is the case of the peppered moth in England, which developed dark coloration during the industrial revolution to better camouflage against tree bark darkened by pollution.