Page 214 - The Error of the Evolution of Species

The Error of the Evolution
of Species

Revolution moths embody the "most spectacular evolution-

ary change ever witnessed and recorded by man." 255 Sewall
Wright, the recognized authority on population genetics,
adds that it is "the clearest case in which a conspicuous evo-
lutionary process has been actually observed." 256
Professor Ali Demirsoy, one of Turkey's leading propo-
nents of the theory of evolution, maintains that this is a most
striking example of natural selection. 257 Professor Demirsoy,

who has described these Industrial Revolution moths in
many of his books, describes their case as follows:
The most interesting example on this subject is the evolu-
tionary change that took place in a moth species (Biston
betularia) living in a region in England in which there
was once dense factory smoke. These moths were white im-
mediately before the Industrial Revolution (as far as we
can tell from collections from the period) and lived on
white lichens on the trunks of trees. This prevented them
from being seen by predators. With the Industrial
Revolution, these lichens darkened due to the soot emitted
from factory chimneys, and light-colored moths became
far more visible. Predators that fed on them, especially
birds, were able to catch them much more easily. However,
the very small number of dark-colored individuals in the
population prior to the Industrial Revolution acquired a
great advantage due to this color change. Much of the pop-

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