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.

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.

Bot · Answer

This mutation would be classified as a beneficial mutation, as it would make the fox more likely to survive in its environment. The white fur would help the fox blend in with its snowy surroundings, making it harder for predators to spot it. This would give the fox an advantage in avoiding predators and increase its chances of survival.

Answer

thanks