Industrial Melanism and the Urban Environment

Bishop, J. A.; Cook, L. M.

doi:10.1016/s0065-2504(08)60270-6

Cited by 39 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 48 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…SO 2 concentration was a good predictor of carbonaria frequency when the pattern was more or less stable (Steward 1977), and it is possible that the association indicates a direct e¡ect on the polymorphism. Evidence from some other industrial melanic species seems to favour this interpretation (see, for example, Bishop & Cook 1980;Lees 1981). Alternatively or in addition, SO 2 may act by altering the composition of the £ora on surfaces used as resting sites by the moths, so as to modify relative crypsis.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Melanic morph frequency in the peppered moth in the Manchester area

Cook

Dennis

Mani

1999

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Data are presented for the Manchester area, showing the recent change in frequency of the melanic morph carbonaria of the peppered moth Biston betularia (L.). The frequency has fallen from 90% in 1983 to below 10% at present; this decline shows that the phenomenon of industrial melanism, ¢rst noted in this species in Manchester, is now almost past.Data from the Wirral peninsula, to the west of Manchester, published by C. A. Clarke and F. M. M. Clarke, show a slightly less rapid decline starting some ten years earlier from a lower maximum. Records from north-west Kent, published by B. K. West, also show a less intense decline from a lower peak several years in advance of the Manchester decline. The changes observed agree with a migration^selection model, which predicts subsidence of the plateau of high carbonaria frequency, with contraction from the edges. Selection in this model includes a non-visual ¢tness advantage of carbonaria homozygotes, a ¢tness di¡erence associated with change in atmospheric sulphur dioxide concentration (which may act through di¡erential crypsis) and frequency-dependent protection of rare forms. When all available data are compared, there is a negative relation between estimated ¢tness of carbonaria over the period of decline and initial level of atmospheric pollution.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Melanic morph frequency in the peppered moth in the Manchester area

Cook

Dennis

Mani

1999

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Polymorphism, in its broadest sense, refers to the occurrence of several strikingly different, discontinuous phenotypes within a single interbreeding population (Mayr, 1970). Numerous cases of chromatic polymorphism have been documented (Clarke et aL, 1978;Turner, 1977;Bishop and Cook, 1980). This may be because their expression is more readily observable; or, alternatively, the alleles involved may be more free to vary than those controlling structure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What makes a happy face? Determinants of colour pattern in the Hawaiian happy face spider Theridion grallator (Araneae, Theridiidae)

Gillespie

Tabashnik

1989

Heredity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…The change is illustrated by Bishop & Cook (1980). Nineteenth century industrial Britain had life expectancies comparable with the lowest currently available for other parts of the world.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%