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.
The mutation causing the fox to have white fur instead of brown can be classified as a beneficial mutation. This is because the white fur allows the fox to blend in with its snowy environment, providing it with increased camouflage and improved chances of successfully hunting its prey while avoiding predators.
By having white fur, the fox is more likely to survive in its arctic habitat. It would be able to approach its prey without being noticed easily and also avoid being detected by its predators, such as eagles, wolves, and polar bears, who would otherwise spot the fox against the white snowy background.
Furthermore, the white fur mutation can also provide an advantage during the fox's breeding season. Since the majority of the year in the arctic is dominated by white snow, a fox with white fur would have a higher likelihood of finding a mate as it would have a better chance of attracting a potential partner.
Therefore, overall, the white fur mutation in the arctic fox would be considered beneficial and increase the fox's likelihood of survival in its snowy habitat.