The shift in the moth population near industrial regions of England from predominantly white-winged forms to predominantly dark-winged (melanised) forms after industrialisation is best explained by:
A{'text': 'Lamarckian inheritance of soot darkening acquired during life', 'label': 'A'}
B{'text': 'Natural selection favouring camouflage against soot-darkened tree bark', 'label': 'B'}
C{'text': 'Genetic drift acting on a small bottlenecked founder population', 'label': 'C'}
D{'text': 'Directed mutation pressure caused by airborne industrial chemicals', 'label': 'D'}
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. {'text': 'Natural selection favouring camouflage against soot-darkened tree bark', 'label': 'B'}
Before industrialisation, white lichen on bark hid white moths; after soot killed lichens and darkened trunks, dark-winged moths were better camouflaged from predators and survived in greater numbers. The reversal reflects natural selection driven by predation pressure, not directed mutation or drift.
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