Question

In the case of peppered moths (biston betularia) the black-colored form became dominant over the light-colored form in England during the industrial revolution. This an example of –
(a)Natural selection, whereby the darker form was selected
(b)Appearance of the darker colored individuals due to poor sunlight
(c)Protective mimicry
(d)Inheritance of darker color characters acquired due to the darker environment

Answer 1

The differential survival and reproduction of individuals is due to phenotype differences. The shift in the heritable characteristics characteristic of a population over generations is a central mechanism of evolution. This adaption was popularized by Charles Darwin, comparing it with artificial selection, which is deliberate in his opinion, while natural selection is not.

Complete answer:
A temperate genus of night-flying moth, the peppered moth (Biston betularia). Peppered moth evolution is sometimes used as an indicator of natural selection by educators. As a product of the industrial revolution, the evolution of the peppered moth is an evolutionary instance of color variation in the moth population. In particular, it is a concept of increasing the number of dark-colored moths due to industrial emissions and a reciprocal decrease in the clean environment of the population. The phenomenon is, thus, called industrial melanism.

Additional Information: The mechanism by which populations of living organisms adapt and adjust is natural selection. Individuals are inherently variable in a population, meaning that they are all different in certain ways. This difference suggests that certain people have characteristics that are better suited to the setting than others. Individuals with adaptive characteristics are more likely to survive and replicate, characteristics that give them some benefit. These people then pass the adaptive features on to their offspring. These beneficial traits are becoming more prevalent in the population over time. Through this natural selection process, desirable characteristics are transmitted through generations.
Speciation, when one species gives birth to a new and distinctly different species, can lead to natural selection. It is one of the mechanisms that drive change and helps to clarify the diversity of life on Earth.
So, the correct answer is ‘Natural selection, whereby the darker forms were selected’.

Note: In comparison to "artificial selection," or selective breeding that is dominated by humans, Darwin chose the term natural selection. He referred to the pastime of pigeon breeding, a common hobby in his day, as an example of artificial selection. Hobbyists produced distinct pigeon breeds, with fancy feathers or acrobatic flight, that were different from wild pigeons, by choosing which pigeons mated with others.