It is with deep regret that I follow Nick Matzke in announcing that Dr. Michael Majerus, an expert on industrial melanism and champion of the peppered moth as a prominent example of natural selection in the wild, has passed away after a short illness.

Dr. Majerus was a professor at Cambridge, and was a dedicated researcher and teacher. I did not know him personally, but I did have an opportunity to interact with him recently after inviting him to write an article on the peppered moth for Evolution: Education and Outreach. My experience was that he was very patient and cared greatly about getting the details right — indeed, the paper describes some of his own very careful research to counter critiques of the peppered moth example. I invite everyone to see the paper, which is a testament to Dr. Majerus’s dedication to excellent research and teaching.

He will be missed.