peppered moth
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peppered moth
the moth Biston betularia, which has been extensively studied in many areas of Britain. Its coloration is of two main types: peppered (a mixture of white and grey) and melanic (dark brown), the relative proportion of the two colour types in an area being related to the amount of atmospheric pollution. The colour forms are an example of a GENETIC POLYMORPHISM controlled by a single gene with two ALLELES, the allele for melanism being dominant. see INDUSTRIAL MELANISM.Collins Dictionary of Biology, 3rd ed. © W. G. Hale, V. A. Saunders, J. P. Margham 2005
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