The evolutionary changes that the peppered moth have undergone in order to evade predation in highly polluted areas has been arguably one of the most studied elements of Natural Selection within the last 200 years. This rapid cryptic patterning amongst Lepidoptera was originally observed in Manchester, England in 1848 where the first melanic phenotype was discovered. Since this time, the Lepidoptera’s interesting adaptation has been on the forefront of experimental studies. In fact, within his article, “Selection Experiments on Industrial Melanism in the Lepidoptera,” Dr. Kettlewell investigates this melanic phenotype in the 19th century. Further on in 2002, B. S. Grant and L. L. Wiseman published an article, “Recent History of Melanism in American Peppered Moths” in an attempt to further delve into this phenomenon.
Prior to the Industrial Revolution, a light form of peppered moth known as Typical was the most abundant form of Lepidoptera in England. However, due to residual pollution from local coal burning locations, an entirely melanic form known as Carbonaria emerged (2). In fact, the emergence of Carbonaria nearly wiped out Typical moths by the end of the 19th century(2). This drastically altered the selective advantage of Typical in favor of Carbonaria moths once the pollutants from industrialization compromised the cathartic nature of the lichens and alga that cascaded over the indigenous trees. By the end of the 19th century, Carbonaria had become the most populated form of Lepidoptera in Manchester and eventually they spread to the neighboring regions(1). Dr. H. B. D. Kettlewell within his research article, “Selection Experiments on Industrial Melanism in the Lepidoptera,” decided to dissect the increasing not...
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...d field methods that were undergone by Kettlewell. Admirable regards can be paid to Grant and Wiseman’s more recent case study in that they tried to expand America’s understanding of industrial Melanism due to lack of data recorded outside of England. However, Kettlewell’s innovative method of “release-recapture” is widely recognized in the constant unveiling of statistical Industrial Melanism.
In conclusion, though Kettlewell and Grant and Wiseman all delved into the frequency of industrial Melanism, their inferences were vastly different. Whether it was the different time periods, locations or research methods, it appears as though one factor led to the different results, pollution. As is clearly conveyed through the explication of these two research papers, research that may have once been prevalent can be proven obsolete as time draws on and factors alter.
Anthropologists and geographers have studied and overtime come to the conclusion that distribution of skin color is not random. Darker skin color has been found to typically come from near the equator and lighter skin colors are typically coming from closer to the north and south poles. Over the years, researchers have found that darker skin colors has protected the skin from having skin cancer. Recent studies have shown that “skin color is the product of natural selection acting to regulate the effects of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation on key nutrients crucial to the reproductive success” (169).
ImageText BoxImageOne of the biggest threats to the environment of Ontario is the Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar dispar). The species itself is native to Europe and Asia. How this affects us is by weakening trees across Ontario and North America. The first time the gypsy moth was found in Ontario was 1969. The gypsy moth can be found in southern Canada (Ontario), New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. It is known to weaken trees and the caterpillar form live in trees and during most outbreaks its caterpillar feces would fall from the trees to the ground or even on top of humans. The average Gypsy Caterpillar can grow 5-6 centimeters long. With five pairs of blue spots and six pairs of bright red dots on their back. The female moth are white and can fly on the other hand, the male moth are brown and can also fly. The female have a 5cm wing span but male have a 2.5cm wing span. The gypsy moth usually lives in open forests and other forests and take up at least 20% of the space. The Gypsy moth are about 4cm long, tan coloured and can be located on tree trunks, furniture, and buildings. (OFAH Invading Species Awareness Program, 2012)
Dictionary of American Negro Biogarphy, ed. Rayford W. Logan, (New York: W.W. Norton and Co.)369-371
Winterthur Portfolio, Vol. 33, No. 4, Race and Ethnicity in American Material Life (Winter, 1998), pp. 249-260
Collier Roger, Race and genetics in the doctor’s office, CMAJ. April 17, 2012 vol. 184 no. 7, p 752-753.
Back in the early 1800’s, the color of one’s skin mattered amongst African Americans and Caucasian people. There was infidelity between the Caucasian slave owners and the African American slaves. Of course, the outcome of that produced a fairer toned child. In most cases the child could pass as white. The mixed toned kids got to be inside doing housework, while the dark Negroes worked in the fields, under extraneous work conditions,”their dark-toned peers toiled in the fields”(Maxwell). From the early 1800’s to modern day, there is controversy that light or bi-racial African Americans are better than dark colored African Americans. African Americans had to go through tests to see if they were able to receive priviledges that white people received,”light-skinned African Amerians receive special priviledges based off of their skin shade”(Maxwell). If an African American did not receive the priviledges similar to white people then they would try to change themselves to fit in,”African Americans are using bleaching creams so that they can make their skin lighter , just to achieve the standard beauty”(Brooke). As much as one will not one to discuss this topic, statistics shows how people are more lenient towards light and fair skin tones.Light oor fair coloredAmericans that poseess Caucasian features are prefiebly preffered.
Colorism in the United States is a result of the history of people being discriminated based upon one’s skin tone. For many years, the European standard of beauty has been set forth and pushed upon mainly young men and women of many backgrounds
Rodriguez, R. (2000). Complexion. In Brunk, T., Diamond, S., Perkins, P., & Smith, K. (Eds.), Literacies (pp. 447-64). New York, N.Y.
Why is it impossible to use biological characteristics to sort people into consistent races? Review some of the concepts such as “non-concordance” and “within-group vs. between group variation.”
In later years, many European scientists defined race by separating Homo Sapiens into three to six different groups. * Australoid: those from Australia, Melanesian islands * Caucasoid: Europe, North Africa, South west Asia * Mongoloid: East Asia, Siberia, the Americas * Negroid: Central and Southern Africa * Native Americans * Polynesians The scientific justification for these six groups was that members of these groups shared similar physical characteristics and originated in a particular region of the world. During the nineteenth century theories of race were advanced both by the scientific community and in the popular daily and periodical press. One idea that was taken into belief was racial standing based on skull size and features. The human skull was us...
Throughout history race has been a pivotal part in decision making. Since the first interaction of populations from different geographical regions, with physical differences, the assumption has been that these differences were fundamental. These physical differences, based mainly on the color of skin, have been classified as race. Over time physicians have tried to pinpoint certain characteristics that are more prominent in one race than another, in order to prove race and that there are subspecies of humans. One of the first examples of this is Johann Blumenbach work “On the Natural Variety of Mankind”. In his work Blumenbach introduced five categories of race; caucasian. mongolian, malayan ethiopian, and american. These classifications revolved around not only skin color, but also physical morphology. Blumenbach supported this by using a collection of physical evidence, like the structure of the cranium, to support his thesis. This marked a shift in thinking of race in terms of geography to physical appearance. Published in 1775, Blumenbach’s dissertation started the scientific approach to finding
Issues of slavery in the and white supremacy in the United States brought about the desire for “racial purity.” The belief was that the highest ethnic achievement was the claiming of Anglo-Saxon origin. Feelings of nativism and nationalism gave way to the rise and fall of scientific whiteness and contributed heavily to the motivation as to why people studied their family trees.
Over the years, research shows that lighter African American have had a higher level of attainment, shaping there social and economic stratification. Many blacks of lighter skin tone have had an advantage...
1) Chaplin, G. Jablonski, N. “The Evolution of Human Skin Coloration.” Journal of Human Evolution 39 (2000) 57-106
According to Andersen and Howard Francis Taylor, race is a group treated as a distinct in society based on certain characteristics some of which are biological, that have been assigned social importance (2). In Social Construction of Race, race is not biologically but socially constructed. In Madison Grant’s The Passing of the Great Race, he writes about the Nordic superiority and he argues for a eugenic program. This book is considered a main book when dealing with scientific racism. In this book there are three groups of people: Mediterranean, Nordic and Alpine. The Mediterranean were the intellectuals, the Nordic were the rulers, and the Alpine were the peasants. The new movement, eugenics, was led by Sir Francis Galton. Eugenics means well-born, a pseudoscience that postulates that controlling the fertility of populations could influence inheritable traits passed on from generation to generation (1). In Dalton Conley’s book Being Black, Living in the Red: Race, Wealth, and Social Policy in America, he talks about the persistence of racial inequality or wealth inequality. The wealth are look at as the “nest egg.” What this means is the wealth and credit are passed down from one generation to the next. There are many events that fall in the social construction of race theory. The Irish became white in early