Question

Peppered moths in England evolved into a dark-colored form when soot darkened the bark of the trees they lived on and exposed the light-colored form to predation. However, air pollution control eventually restored the moths' habitat to its original condition. What would probably have happened to the peppered moth population if the light-colored alleles had been entirely lost from its gene pool during the period when dark-colored moths were selectively favored?

Answer 1

If the light-colored alleles had been entirely lost from the peppered moth population during the period of selective favoring of dark-colored moths, it would have been difficult for the population to revert back to light-colored moths once the environment improved.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the Industrial Revolution in England, the peppered moth population shifted from light to dark-colored moths due to soot darkening the bark of the trees where they lived. This change occurred because the dark-colored moths were better camouflaged and less likely to be preyed upon by birds.

However, if the light-colored alleles had been entirely lost from the gene pool during this time, the population would have lost the potential for light-colored offspring, making it difficult to revert back to light-colored moths once air pollution was reduced and the trees returned to their original light-colored state.