Final answer:
As the Industrial Revolution progressed, the light-colored peppered moths in England became more vulnerable to predators due to soot darkening tree barks. Consequently, dark-colored moths, better camouflaged in this new environment, survived and reproduced more, leading to a shift in moth population colors, an example of directional selection.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Industrial Revolution in nineteenth-century England, a significant change occurred in the peppered moth populations as a result of environmental changes due to industrial pollution. The light-colored peppered moths, once well-camouflaged against a pristine environment, became more vulnerable to predation as pollution darkened the tree barks with soot.
In contrast, dark-colored peppered moths, which were previously rare and vulnerable, found the new sooty environment advantageous for camouflage, leading to their increased survival and reproduction. This shift from light to dark-colored moths in the population is an example of directional selection, directly influenced by the altered habitats during the Industrial Revolution.