The Industrial Revolution resulted in increased pollution and the widespread use of coal-powered factories in Britain. This led to a significant darkening of the tree trunks in industrial areas due to soot and pollution, making the light-colored peppered moths more visible to predators. As a result, the population of light-colored peppered moths decreased while the population of dark-colored peppered moths increased, as they were better camouflaged against the darker tree trunks. This phenomenon is known as industrial melanism.
