>I just rejoined after a holiday hiatus from the list.
>
>I am teaching intro college biology and am about to mention the peppered
>moth classic example of natural selection. I know there has recently been
>some criticism of the study by creation scientists, but was unable to locate
>any specifics from a web search. Does anyone know what criticism has been
>offered about this study, and why? I'd like to be informed before going in
>there! ;)
>
Actually, the questioning came from biologists, not creation scientists,
who had generally accepted the standard textbook version. However, once
questions surfaced, they were seized upon as potential antievolutionary
propaganda. The controversy stems from a book review rather than from the
study itself. The author of the original study disagrees with the
representation of the study in the book review.
The main problem is the question of whether there is adequate evidence that
the dark or light moths were really resting on dark or light trees and
eaten by predators if they were visible. The evidence that the moths
frequently rest on trees is weak. However, I have not seen any information
on where they do rest. They must be somewhere, and with everything covered
in soot, it does not matter too much where they were. Black color could
have been useful anywhere. Maybe they have not been seen on trees because
the camoflage is effective against entomologists.
It has been claimed that other moths should have done the same thing.
However, this assumes that the mutation would have occurred and become
established in other regions with high levels of soot. Neither of these is
a certainty. Britain, as one of the first places to be highly
industrialized and as an island with somewhat isolated populations, would
be a particularly favorable spot for such mutations to become established.
Most importanty with regard to the creationist misuse, the evidence does
not help the antievolutionary view. The moths definitely did evolve; what
is not certain is why. Additionally, this is within-species variation of
the sort that can be observed in a short period of time, of which there are
innumerable examples. Most YECs and PCs readily admit this takes place.
David C.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jan 20 2000 - 09:39:23 EST