Peppered Moth Stimulation
Life Cycle of the Peppered Moth
1. Why are these moths called "peppered moths?"
Because their light wings are "peppered" with small dark spots.
2. What animals eat the peppered moth?
Flycatchers, nuthatches, and the European robins are all predators of the peppered moth.
3. What is a lichen?
Small fungi on trees are called lichen.
4. What do the larvae of the moth eat?
Leaves of birch, willow, and oak are all food of a larvae peppered moth.
5. How do peppered moths spend the winter?
They change into cocoons.
6. Moths that have more dark spots than the average moth are called what?
Carbonaria
Because their light wings are "peppered" with small dark spots.
2. What animals eat the peppered moth?
Flycatchers, nuthatches, and the European robins are all predators of the peppered moth.
3. What is a lichen?
Small fungi on trees are called lichen.
4. What do the larvae of the moth eat?
Leaves of birch, willow, and oak are all food of a larvae peppered moth.
5. How do peppered moths spend the winter?
They change into cocoons.
6. Moths that have more dark spots than the average moth are called what?
Carbonaria
Impact of Pollution
7. Where was the first black form of the moth found?
Near the Centre of Manchester.
8. What was the Industrial Revolution?
Factories being built and being ran by burning oil and coal.
9. What was causing the different colors in the moths?
The color is hereditary. The darkness was passed on by a mutation in the DNA of a single moth, and the mutated gene was passed on to all its descendants.
10. What is natural selection?
When the small differences in different species, helps the owner surviver, and their offspring start to have that life saving difference. Eventually all the living ones, shall be living because of that difference.
11. Who suggested that peppered moths were an example of natural selection?
J.W. Tutt
12. What is industrial melanism?
Species darkening over a period of time in polluted forests.
Near the Centre of Manchester.
8. What was the Industrial Revolution?
Factories being built and being ran by burning oil and coal.
9. What was causing the different colors in the moths?
The color is hereditary. The darkness was passed on by a mutation in the DNA of a single moth, and the mutated gene was passed on to all its descendants.
10. What is natural selection?
When the small differences in different species, helps the owner surviver, and their offspring start to have that life saving difference. Eventually all the living ones, shall be living because of that difference.
11. Who suggested that peppered moths were an example of natural selection?
J.W. Tutt
12. What is industrial melanism?
Species darkening over a period of time in polluted forests.
Kettlewell's Experiment
13. What is an entomologist?
Scientists who study insects.
14. How do scientists test theories?
Making predictions based on the theories. Then they test the prediction to see if what they observe matches their expectations.
15. Write down ONE of Kettlewell's predictions.
Heavily polluted forests will have mostly dark peppered moths.
16. Dark moths were found in what parts of the country?
Industrial cities producing pollution.
17. How did Kettlewell directly study the moths?
He placed light and dark moths in the trunk of trees,so that he could observe him.
18. Why did dark moths have a survival advantage?
They could camouflage in the dark forests, where as the light moths stood out.
19. When Kettlewell recaptured the marked moths, what did he find?
If a moth's colors match their environment, they are more likely to survive.
20. Where did Kettlewell publish his findings?
Scientific American
Scientists who study insects.
14. How do scientists test theories?
Making predictions based on the theories. Then they test the prediction to see if what they observe matches their expectations.
15. Write down ONE of Kettlewell's predictions.
Heavily polluted forests will have mostly dark peppered moths.
16. Dark moths were found in what parts of the country?
Industrial cities producing pollution.
17. How did Kettlewell directly study the moths?
He placed light and dark moths in the trunk of trees,so that he could observe him.
18. Why did dark moths have a survival advantage?
They could camouflage in the dark forests, where as the light moths stood out.
19. When Kettlewell recaptured the marked moths, what did he find?
If a moth's colors match their environment, they are more likely to survive.
20. Where did Kettlewell publish his findings?
Scientific American
Birdseye View
21. 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 are the most obvious. At the end of each simulation, record the percent of moths captured in the table below.
Light Forest
Light Moths- 79%
Dark Moths- 21%
Dark Forest
Light Moths- 42%
Dark Moths- 58%
Final Analysis
22. Explain how the color of the moths increases or decreases their chances of survival.
In the light forest, it is easier to see the moths that stand out of the background. If the color of the moth, matches the color of the background, they are more likely to survive. And vice verse for the Dark forest.
23. Explain the concept of "natural selection" using your moths as an example.
In the light forest, as all the dark moths die there will only be the light moths since there are only light moths DNA left to reproduce. Natural selection has weakened out all the moths that do not survive.
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 then the moths would over-populate with both types of moths. The colors would start to change into a gray tint when both colors start to mix. There is no natural selection killing off the revealing colored moths, so there wouldn't be one type of species that would be less than another.
Light Forest
Light Moths- 79%
Dark Moths- 21%
Dark Forest
Light Moths- 42%
Dark Moths- 58%
Final Analysis
22. Explain how the color of the moths increases or decreases their chances of survival.
In the light forest, it is easier to see the moths that stand out of the background. If the color of the moth, matches the color of the background, they are more likely to survive. And vice verse for the Dark forest.
23. Explain the concept of "natural selection" using your moths as an example.
In the light forest, as all the dark moths die there will only be the light moths since there are only light moths DNA left to reproduce. Natural selection has weakened out all the moths that do not survive.
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 then the moths would over-populate with both types of moths. The colors would start to change into a gray tint when both colors start to mix. There is no natural selection killing off the revealing colored moths, so there wouldn't be one type of species that would be less than another.