Northern foxes can have different fur colors.

Question

The foxes hunt squirrels for food. Foxes that have fur the same color as their environment are better at getting close to squirrels and catching them.

The diagrams below show three possible fox populations.

Diagram titled Population 1 containing a row of 7 fox icons labeled Brown.
Diagram titled Population 2 containing 2 rows of 6 fox icons each, one labeled Brown and one labeled White.
Diagram titled Population 3 containing a row of 7 fox icons labeled White.
audio
speed
14. If their environment changes to have only brown dirt, which of the following fox populations will most likely survive?
Responses

a
Populations 1 and 2 will most likely survive.
Populations 1 and 2 will most likely survive.

b
Populations 2 and 3 will most likely survive.
Populations 2 and 3 will most likely survive.

c
Only Population 2 will survive because it is the only population with variation.
Only Population 2 will survive because it is the only population with variation.

d
All the populations will survive because the foxes will change the color of their fur if they need to

Answer 1

The most suitable response to the question is:

c - Only Population 2 will survive because it is the only population with variation.

Here's the reasoning:

1. Population 1 consists solely of brown foxes, which would be well-camouflaged in an environment with brown dirt.
2. Population 2 has both brown and white foxes, giving it variation. The brown foxes can blend into the environment and are more likely to survive, while the white foxes will be at a disadvantage.
3. Population 3 consists entirely of white foxes, which would struggle to survive in an environment dominated by brown dirt due to lack of camouflage.

Since Population 2 possesses the variation of both colors, it is more likely to have individuals that can effectively survive in changing environments, particularly since the brown individuals will be better suited for the brown dirt environment.