Q. In the case of peppered moth (Biston betularia) the black-coloured form became dominant over the light-coloured form in England during industrial revolution. This is an example of:
A) appearance of the darker coloured individuals due to very poor sunlight
B) protective mimicry
C) inheritance of darker colour character acquired due to the darker environment
D) natural selection whereby the darker forms were selected
Explanation
[Solution from source] On soot-darkened tree trunks the dark moths were less visible to predatory birds and survived and reproduced more, so their frequency increased; NCERT uses this industrial melanism as an example of natural selection. It is camouflage, not mimicry of another species, and not inheritance of acquired characters. Answer (4).
Reviewed by Dr. Abubacker
Physics Educator & NEET/JEE Specialist
Ph.D. in Physics with 19+ years of teaching experience.