Evolution  Bas Feijen  Contact
Peppered Moth
Microevolution or macroevolution?
For years the story of the peppered moth, Biston betularia, has provided one of the best-known examples of natural selection in action. ... What we do know is that the rise and fall of dark-colored moths, a phenomenon known as "industrial melanism," remains a striking and persuasive example of natural selection in action. What we have to be cautious about is attributing 100% of the work of natural selection in this case to the camouflage of the moths and their direct visibility to birds.
Kenneth Miller - The Peppered Moth, An Update
The peppered moth is another one of those hailed icons of evolution and typical textbook examples. It is remarkable how people use certain stories to prove this or that. Industrial melanism plays a role in creating the circumstances for natural selection to take place. Now biologists agree that this example shows natural selection causing evolution within a species; microevolution only.
Selective bird predation on the peppered moth
The [peppered moth] experiments beautifully demonstrate natural selection or survival of the fittest - in action, but they do not show evolution in progress, for however the population may alter... all the moths remain from beginning to end, Biston betularia.
Leonard Harrison Matthews - Norman Geisler: Is Man the Measure?
It's a motherfacking moth fact that peppered moths have never changed into anything other than peppered moths. Individuals of each morph interbreed and produce fertile offspring with individuals of all other morphs; hence there is only one peppered moth species. This is a good example of natural selection and it's part of microevolution. Nothing to do with macroevolution.
Last week, the Manchester School of Art joined forces with the Manchester Museum to host a series of workshops for 10-14 year olds, exploring the significance of the Peppered Moth within a contemporary context. The aim of these workshops was to find creative ways for young people to discuss climate change and evolution.
Manchester School of Art - Peppered Moth: Alex Reade
Activities give an introduction to Charles Darwin and his theories of evolution.
Darwin Correspondence Project - Darwin and Evolution
Schools typically teach kids that the peppered moth is a prime example of evolution. What they don't tell kids is that the peppered moth is merely an example of microevolution and has nothing to do with macroevolution. This is how they make it seem to kids that this is an example that proves the whole theory of evolution. Of course kids are not left with much space to think about it themselves, they are presented with a story and expected to accept it within the box of evolutionary thought.
The story of this experimental proof of evolutionary theory made its way into all the biology texts written since the 1950s when the results of this field experiment yielded such clear results. Students everywhere heard the story and learned Oh Happy Day - the theory of evolution was provable!
Judith Hooper - Of Moths and Men: An Evolutionary Tale
For decades the peppered moth has been a standard classroom and textbook example of evolution. Millions of students have learned this "living proof" of natural selection. The story they have been, and are, being told is most likely false, or to put it more mildly, filled with half-truths. This is not because teachers and writers are intentionally lying, or hiding and bending facts, but because the example is only brought to prove a point, so that complications appear extraneous to the argument.
Craig Holdrege - The Story of the Peppered Moth
Such obvious population changes over a relatively short period of time have made the peppered moth a textbook example of natural selection, but the genetic basis of the rise and fall of the dark form has not been understood. Previous evidence shows that the dark colouring isn't associated with any of the genetic pathways already known to cause melanism in insects, and it was unclear whether the moth's dark form had arisen several times or just once.
Nature - The peppered moth's dark genetic past revealed
Evolutionists have always been good at selling their story to the world. Of course most of them will not mention that it has nothing to do with macroevolution. It is not even known if there is a genetic component involved in the change of colour.
Extra...
Jonathan Wells - Icons of Evolution: Science or Myth?
Miller and Levine - The Peppered Moth, An Update
Jonathan Wells - Second Thoughts about Peppered Moths
Bruce S. Grant - Fine Tuning the Peppered Moth Paradigm
Science Against Evolution - Horses and Peppered Moths
Evolution  Bas Feijen  Contact