Assertion (A) : The population of melanized moths increased in areas after Industrial Revolution.
Reason (R) : In Industrial environment lichen covered trees were replaced by soot-covered trees offering better camouflage to dark coloured moths.
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Industrial melanism proves that natural selection favors the variant that is best adapted to the current environment.
It is not that the moths "changed color" individually; rather, the existing dark variants survived better and reproduced more.
Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of the Assertion (A).
Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.
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The Correct Option isA
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This question pertains to "Industrial Melanism," a classic example of natural selection observed in the peppered moth (\textit{Biston betularia}) in England. Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Before industrialization, white-winged moths were more abundant because they could camouflage against lichen-covered tree trunks.
After the Industrial Revolution, soot and smoke from factories killed the lichens and darkened the tree trunks.
In this new environment, the dark-colored (melanized) moths had a survival advantage because they were hidden from predators (birds), while white moths were easily spotted and eaten.
Consequently, the population of melanized moths increased.
Assertion (A) is true.
Reason (R) correctly identifies the environmental change and the camouflage advantage that caused the increase. Therefore, R is the correct explanation for A. Step 3: Final Answer:
Since both statements are true and the reason explains the assertion, the answer is (A).
