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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

3 answers

The mutation causing the arctic fox to have white fur instead of brown would generally be classified as a beneficial mutation, particularly in its natural habitat.

Here's the reasoning:

  1. Camouflage and Survival: The arctic fox's primary habitat is characterized by snow and ice. White fur provides effective camouflage in this environment, making it easier for the fox to hunt small mammals like rodents, as well as to avoid detection by predators like eagles, wolves, and polar bears. If a fox with white fur is better camouflaged, it is likely to have higher success rates in both hunting and evading predators compared to a brown-furred fox.

  2. Natural Selection: Since the white-furred fox has advantages in its snowy environment, it is more likely to survive and reproduce. This would mean that the trait for white fur could become more common in the population over time due to natural selection favoring those individuals.

  3. Contextual Dependence: It's important to note that the classification of mutations can be context-dependent. In a different environment—such as one with a predominantly brown landscape—brown fur might be beneficial, and white fur could become a disadvantage.

In conclusion, in the context of the arctic environment, the mutation leading to white fur would make the arctic fox more likely to survive and reproduce, thus making this mutation beneficial.

make it a paragraph

The mutation causing arctic foxes to have white fur instead of brown can be classified as a beneficial mutation within their natural habitat. The predominantly snowy and icy environment offers significant advantages for a white-furred fox, as it provides effective camouflage that enhances hunting success and reduces detection by predators such as eagles, wolves, and polar bears. This adaptation increases the likelihood of survival and reproduction for those individuals with white fur, leading to a potential increase in the trait within the population over time through natural selection. However, it's important to recognize that the classification of such mutations can be context-dependent; in a different environment, the brown fur might be advantageous. Overall, in the context of the arctic, the white fur mutation enhances the fox's chances of survival.