Wells' Icons of Evolution - Peppered Moths

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I'm not enough of a geneticist to understand why a particular mutation would be common. Perhaps there's a particular point in the DNA that's unstable?

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Some mutations occur more often than others because certain DNA sequences lend themselves to being miscopied or for substitutions to occur. Its primarily due to the physical structure of the DNA at those points and its interactions with molecules such as DNA polymerase, and others.In the case of the peppered moth, however, the rise in the melanic form is NOT due to recurring mutations, simply because the rate of recurrent mutation is nowhere near enough to account for the increase.KC

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May I ask for a minor clarification?
Are you simply saying that the transition from ~0% dark moths to 98% dark is not accounted for by a recurring mutation that made each individual dark? Or do you mean that the rate of recurrence is so low that the dark moths were all likely the descendents of one dark mutant born in the 1800's?

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The former.KC

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It looks like all Wells is saying that IF this story is an Icon of evolution scientists had better get the conclusion straight.

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Too bad Wells can't get even the data or methods straight, let alone the conclusion.KC

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The evidence is in Majerus data.You have chosen to generalize on the data.I believe that they are straight amounts, giving evidence of the scarcity of moths landing on exposed parts of the tree

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What is the significance of 'exposed' parts of the tree? Are you saying shadows on the resting place decrease the probability of bird predation?KC