Question

Explain Darwin's theory of natural selection with industrial melanism as an experimental proof.

Answer 1

The theory of natural selection was proposed by Charles Darwin. The theory explains that nature has its own way to eliminate the organisms which cannot survive. It states that in a population, there always exists a number of variations based on different combinations of traits, now carrying capacity of the environment is not unlimited. Hence, nature selects the best-suited organisms that have a greater chance to become parents for the next generation. The event of industrial melanism is one of the phenomena which explains the natural selection. There were more number of white coloured moths which camouflaged on the trees. The black coloured moths were easily visible. After the industrial revolution, due to the deposition of the soot on the trees, the white coloured moths were easily killed by the predators. This is a form of natural selection which favours the survival of the organism which can adapt to the surrounding.