Answer:
The correct answer is D) As pollution increased, rare dark colored moths were selected to survive and became common, while abundant light colored moths were selected against and started to disappear.
During the Industrial Revolution in 19th century England, the peppered moths served as evidence of evolution through natural selection. Prior to the industrialization, the majority of peppered moths had light-colored wings, which helped them blend in with the lichen-covered trees they rested on. However, as pollution from industrial activities increased, the trees became covered in soot, making them darker in color.
The dark-colored moths had a better chance of surviving and avoiding predation as they were able to blend in with the darkened trees. On the other hand, the light-colored moths stood out against the dark background, making them more visible to predators. Consequently, the darker moths had a higher likelihood of reproducing and passing on their dark-winged genes to the next generation.
Over time, this natural selection resulted in an increase in the proportion of dark-colored moths in the population, while the light-colored moths became less common. This change in the moth population demonstrated the impact of environmental factors, such as pollution, on the prevalence of certain traits within a species. Thus, the peppered moths of 19th century England provide evidence of evolution through the process of natural selection.
Step-by-step explanation:
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