Observing Evolution: Peppered Moths and the Discovery of Parallel Melanism

A firsthand account of how a modest moth demonstrated Darwin's theory of natural selection. The extraordinary tale of the humble peppered moth is at the very foundation of our acceptance of Darwinian evolution. When scientists in the early twentieth century discovered that a British population of the small, speckled Biston betularia had become black over the course of mere decades in response to the Industrial Revolution's encroaching soot, the revelation cemented Darwin's theory of natural selection. This finding was the staple example of "evolution in action" until the turn of the millennium, when proponents of Creationism fomented doubts about the legitimacy of early experiments. In the midst of this upheaval, evolutionary biologist Bruce S. Grant and his contemporaries were determinedly building a dataset that would ultimately vindicate the theory of industrial melanism in the peppered moth and, by extension, the theory of natural selection itself. Observing Evolution tells the remarkable story of this work. Shining a light on the efforts of scientists who tested Darwin's trailblazing theory, Grant chronicles the historical foundations of peppered moth research, then explains how he and his collaborators were able to push this famous study forward. He describes how his experiments were designed and conducted while painting a vivid picture of the personalities, events, and adventures around the world that shaped his successes—and struggles. His story culminates with his discovery of the mirrored "rise and fall" of melanism in peppered moth populations separated by the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean, which settled the intense controversy around evolution by documenting nature's recurring experiment. Observing Evolution is a crash course in natural selection and the history of evolutionary biology for anyone interested in Darwin's legacy. It's also a fascinating read for lepidopterists and scientists about the bridge between classic experiments and today's sophisticated DNA sequencing, which reveals in ever greater detail how the lives of these tiny organisms have such enormous implications. —Douglas J. Futuyma, Quarterly Review of Biology

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments Part I 1. Passing the Baton 2. Peppered Moths 101 3. Catching Moths Using Light Traps 4. Camouflage 5. The Rest-Site Selection Controversy 6. A Feeling for the Organism 7. Elizabethan Moths 8. Non-Random Rest-Site Selection in Captivity 9. Life at Mountain Lake 10. Travel Arrangements Part II 11. Wirral Welcome 12. Coffee with the Clarkes 13. Clockwork Orange 14. Surface Reflectance 15. How to Pick Up a Moth 16. The Birch Moth 17. Cultural Assimilation 18. Caterpillars 19. Long Season's End 20. Yankees Go Home Part III 21. From Field to Lab 22. The Talk 23. The Grand Pub Part IV 24. Summer School 25. Coauthors Part V 26. Nihongo 27. Gaijin 28. Reception 29. Around Town 30. In The Field 31. Tajima 32. Fisheries Lab 33. Hokkaido 34. Tourists 35. Nagano 36. East Meets West Part VI 37. Serendipity 38. Allelic Melanism 39. Conspecific Pheromones 40. Howard Hughes Lecture 41. Mr. Parallel Evolution 42. Aerogrammes 43. Edwin S. George Reserve 44. Farewell and Welcome 45. Nature 46. Round Two 47. Oxfordshire 48. New York Times 49. Expanding Views 50. Epilogue Bibliography

About the Author :
Bruce S. Grant is Emeritus Professor of biology at the College of William & Mary.

Review :
Highly recommended. —Malcolm Peaker, Zoology Jottings Grant's writing is accessible, his explanations of complex science easily digestible, and he is full of genuinely amusing stories. If you ever doubted the validity of this iconic example of rapid evolution, Observing Evolution will set you straight. —Natural History Bookshop For others who simply enjoy a good scientific detective story, this is among the best. —British Journal of Entomology and Natural History In this engaging book, Grant documents the places he went and the extraordinary people he met, on this quest to understand parts of the peppered moth story that did not quite add up. —James Mallet, Harvard University, Evolution Highly recommended for all biology students, especially those interested in entomology and evolutionary biology...It's a real treat to read about some of the giants of entomological research. —Andrew Wakeham-Dawson, Entomologist's Monthly Magazine Provides a rare, unfiltered glimpse into what doing science is actually like....For Grant, the process of becoming an authority on peppered moths was a truly ground-up affair that began unplanned, with nothing more than a question. To begin working with Biston, he needed to step outside of what, at the time, was his well-defined scientific comfort zone of lab-based research....On a fundamental level, this book reveals that there's an art to doing science. —Richard Gawne, Tufts University, Journal of Experimental Zoology: Molecular and Developmental Evolution Fascinating...Grant's story is both personal and engaging...His book presents a validation of natural selection data plus a critical assessment of speculation over 50 years in a gripping personal science adventure story. —Stephen J. O'Brien, Journal of Heredity This book chronicles Grant's efforts to wrestle with details of the operation of natural selection in wild populations of widely geographically separated species of the peppered moth....Grant is a good writer and a great storyteller....[He] is clearly devoted to the scientific process, and wide open to his research subjects showing him something completely unexpected. —The American Biology Teacher Perhaps what is most special about Grant's chronicle is the passion with which he writes about scientific practice. His love of biology shines through, and it is quite contagious. —History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences [Grant] beautifully describes how science works and what it is like to be a practicing evolutionary scientist. I recommend his book to all readers, but especially to students. I cannot think of another volume that might be as great an inspiration. —Douglas J. Futuyma, Quarterly Review of Biology