Question

Question
A species of fox lives in the arctic where the ground is covered in white snow most of the year. These arctic foxes hunt rodents and other small mammals, while their predators include eagles, wolves, and polar bears. A mutation in its DNA causes a fox to have white fur rather than brown. Given this information, would you classify this mutation as a harmful, beneficial, or neutral mutation? Would this make the fox more or less likely to survive? Explain your answer.


4-5 sentences write answer like a highschooler

Answer 1

This mutation would be beneficial because white fur camouflages the fox in the snowy arctic. Better camouflage helps it catch rodents more easily and makes it harder for predators like eagles, wolves, and polar bears to spot it. Because of these advantages, a white-furred fox would be more likely to survive and reproduce than a brown one. If the environment changed (for example, less snow), however, the same mutation could become harmful.