A population of rabbits lives in a snowy environment. Most of the rabbits have white fur, but a mutation causes some rabbits to be born with brown fur. Over several generations, scientists observe that the number of brown-furred rabbits decreases.

Question

Which hypothesis best explains the effect of this mutation on the rabbit population?
(5 Points)

The brown fur mutation was beneficial because it helped the rabbits blend into their environment.

The brown fur mutation was harmful because it made the rabbits more visible to predators, decreasing their survival.

The brown fur mutation had a neutral effect because it did not change the number of brown rabbits over time.

The brown fur mutation caused all rabbits to become brown, showing that mutations always spread in a population.

Answer 1

The hypothesis that best explains the effect of the brown-furred mutation on the rabbit population is:

The brown fur mutation was harmful because it made the rabbits more visible to predators, decreasing their survival.

This explanation aligns with the observation that the number of brown-furred rabbits decreases over generations, indicating that they are less likely to survive and reproduce in their snowy environment compared to their white-furred counterparts, who blend in better with their surroundings.