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melanism  Industrial melanism in the peppered moth, first noticed by English geneticist Henry Kettlewell. He observed that whereas in rural areas peppered moths were light in colour to camouflage them against the lichens, in industrial areas where the tree trunks were dirtied with soot, peppered moths were darker. Natural selection favoured the darker mutation in industrial areas because it offered better camouflage there, so it had become widespread, whereas in rural areas the darker mutant was highly visible against the lighter tree trunks and so was easy prey to insect feeders. | Black coloration of animal bodies caused by large amounts of the pigment melanin. Melanin is of significance in insects, because melanic ones warm more rapidly in sunshine than do pale ones, and can be more active in cool weather. A fall in temperature may stimulate such insects to produce more melanin. In industrial areas, dark insects and pigeons match sooty backgrounds and escape predation, but they are at a disadvantage in rural areas where they do not match their backgrounds. This is known as industrial melanism. |
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