Study
The industrial melanism mutation in British peppered moths is a transposable element
Hof, Arjen E. van’t; Campagne, Pascal; Rigden, Daniel J.; Yung, Carl J.; Lingley, Jessica; Quail, Michael A.; Hall, Neil; Darby, Alistair C.; Saccheri, Ilik J.
Nature, 2016
Identified the specific mutation responsible for the melanic form and dated its origin, using genomic sequencing and analysis of the surrounding haplotype.
- Studied in
- Biston betularia
- Sample size
- genomic analysis with dating of the causal mutation
The melanic form is caused by a transposable element inserted into a single gene, and the insertion is dated to around 1819 — consistent with the first melanic moth being recorded in Manchester in 1848.
What it means
The authors' reading, and ours. Where they differ, that difference is the point.
How the authors put it
A single identifiable mutation of known date underlies the classic example of natural selection in action.
How NatureHQ reads it
The detail that makes the story complete rather than merely correct. Most textbook examples of selection have no identified mutation; this one has the exact genetic change and a date that fits the historical record to within a few decades of the first sighting.
- Dating a mutation from haplotype structure carries uncertainty, which the authors quantify.
- Identifies the causal change without establishing how the insertion produces the pigmentation difference.
What this study is used for on NatureHQ
One study can inform several subjects. Here is everywhere this one is cited.
Published by: Nature PortfolioPublished in a Nature Portfolio journal.
Checked against Crossref on 2026-09-28, and they agree on the title, the authors and the year.
NatureHQ summarises research in its own words and does not reproduce published text. Reviewed 2026-09-03.