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. (make it short and like a 7th grader wrote it)

Answer 1

The mutation that makes the arctic fox have white fur instead of brown fur would be considered a beneficial mutation. This is because the white fur helps the fox blend in with the snowy environment, making it harder for its prey (like rodents) to see it. This camouflage gives the fox a better chance of hunting successfully and staying safe from predators like eagles and wolves. So, having white fur makes the fox more likely to survive in the arctic compared to a brown fox.