The increase in the proportions of light moths in many locations preceded
significant changes in the colour of tree trunks. This raises questions
about the accuracy of the classical theory that changes to the population
of the peppered moth were brought about by natural selection resulting
from bird predation.
Source:
Discovery Institute, 2003. A preliminary analysis of the treatment of
evolution in biology textbooks currently being considered for adoption by
the Texas State Board of Education.
http://www.discovery.org/articleFiles/PDFs/TexasPrelim.pdf,
p. 11
Response:
I have been unable to find a shred of evidence in the primary
scientific literature to support this claim. It is a stronger version
of claim that light peppered moths increased before lichens
(CB601.2.4), for which the balance of
evidence already
seems unpersuasive (see the response to
that claim).
While the source lists 12 references, it gives no indication which, if
any, of them has provided evidence for the claim. Certainly none is
given in any of the first three of these references (Coyne 1998;
Sargent et al. 1998; Wells 1999), which merely assert the weaker claim
CB601.2.4.
References:
Coyne, Jerry A., 1998. Not black and white (A review of Melanism:
Evolution in Action by Michael E.N. Majeris). Nature 396: 35-36.
Sargent, Theodore D., Craig D. Millar and David M. Lambert, 1998. The
"classical" explanation of industrial melanism--Assessing the evidence.
Evol. Biol. 30: 299-322.
Wells, Jonathan, 1999. Second thoughts about peppered moths.
The Scientist, 13(11): 13.
