Why was the population of longtail moths also surveyed in this study?
(A) Variations in the environment were expected to alter the population of longtail moths.
(B) Longtail moths were included as a control because they were not expected to change appreciably due to changes associated with the Industrial Revolution.
(C) The peppered moth did not have a long enough tail to visualize.
(D) Longtail moths were poisoned by the coal dust and suffered drastic population loss.

During the Industrial Revolution, a major change was observed in many insect species due to the mass production and deposition of ash and soot around cities and factories. One of the most famous instances was within the spotted moth population. An ecological survey was performed in which the number of spotted moths and longtail moths were counted in 8 different urban settings over a square kilometer in 1802. A repeat experiment was performed 100 years later in 1902.

Transcribed Image Text:

Number of Moths Detected / km² 40 30 20 10 White-bodied Pepper Moth 1802 1902 Black-bodied Pepper Moth Longtail Moths