Before the Industrial Revolution in England, the peppered moth was commonly found on tree trunks that had light-colored lichen on the bark. Most of the peppered moths were a light gray-brown color similar to that of the lichen. A few of the moths had a mutation that made them a dark gray-brown color.

During the Industrial Revolution, coal-burning factories produced black soot that covered the trees and killed the lichen in and near cities. In these areas the number of dark peppered moths increased, while the number of light peppered moths decreased. What contributed to this change?

A. The soot-covered trees camouflaged the dark moths
B. The dark moths prey on the light moths
C. Bird populations increased in the area near the factories
D. The dark moths laid fewer eggs than the light moths