evolutionary toxicology

Study of the effects of pollution on evolution. A polluted habitat may cause organisms to select for certain traits, as in industrial melanism for example, where some insects, such as the peppered moth, evolve to be darker in polluted areas, and therefore better camouflaged against predation.

Pollutants may also trigger mutations, for example, voles living around the Chernobyl exploded nuclear reactor have a very high mutation rate despite appearing healthy and reproducing successfully. Fish in polluted rivers also exhibit mutations.