How did dark coloration become advantageous for peppered moths in industrial Britain?

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Marble bust of Aristotle with a beard and draped robe, showing detailed facial features and wavy hair, set against a dark background. — Philosophy of biology Detail of a Roman copy (2nd century bce) of a Greek alabaster portrait bust of Aristotle, c. 325 bce; in the collection of the Roman National Museum.

The shift in the peppered moth population during the Industrial Revolution is a classic example of natural selection known as industrial melanism.

Before industrialization, the light-coloured morph was better camouflaged against lichen-covered trees, making it less visible to bird predators. As air pollution from coal soot increased, the lichens died and trees became darkened. This environmental change reversed the survival advantage: the dark morph, which had previously been a rare mutation, became less conspicuous against the soot-covered bark. Consequently, the light-coloured moths faced higher rates of predation, while the dark moths survived and reproduced more successfully, leading to a rapid increase in the dark population.1