Peppered Moths Simulation
1. Why are these moths called "peppered moths?"
They are called "Peppered Moths" because the camouflage to help them hide from predators & their wings have black dots on them.
2. What animals eat the peppered moth?
Birds & fly catchers
3. What is a lichen?
They are a certain kind of moth, they have light colored bark & are covered with fungi
4. What do the larvae of the moth eat?
They eat the leaves of birch, willow, & oak tress.
5. How do peppered moths spend the winter?
They change into a cocoon
6. Moths that have more dark spots than the average moth are called what?
Insularia
Impact of Pollution
7. Where was the first black form of the moth found?
Manchester
8. What was the Industrial Revolution?
Factories were being built & they were ran by burning coal for fuel.
9. What was causing the different colors in the moths?
The color was genetic. They passed their color to the generation.
10. What is natural selection?
If the smoke did change their color then it was natural selection.
11. Who suggested that peppered moths were an example of natural selection?
Charles Darwin
12. What is industrial melanism?
The moths were observed to darken over time in polluted forests.
Kettlewell's Experiments
13. What is an entomologist?
A scientist who studies insects.
14. How do scientists test theories?
15. Write down ONE of Kettlewell's predictions.
16. Dark moths were found in what parts of the country?
17. How did Kettlewell directly study the moths?
18. Why did dark moths have a survival advantage?
19. When Kettlewell recaptured the marked moths, what did he find?
20. Where did Kettlewell publish his findings?
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.
Final Analysis
22. Explain how the color of the moths increases or decreases their chances of survival.
23. Explain the concept of "natural selection" using your moths as an example.
24. What would happen if there were no predators in the forest? Would the colors of the moths change over time? Defend your answer?