A species of fox lives in the attic where the ground is covered in white snow most of the year these artic 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 givin 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 the answer

Question

A species of fox lives  in the attic where the ground is covered in white snow most of the year these artic 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 givin 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 the answer

Bot GPT 3.5 · Answer

Based on the information provided, the mutation in the fox's DNA that causes it to have white fur instead of brown can be classified as a beneficial mutation. This is because the white fur would provide the fox with better camouflage against the snowy background in its habitat, making it less visible to predators. With the white fur, the fox would be more likely to survive as it can effectively blend in with the white snow, making it harder for its predators (such as eagles, wolves, and polar bears) to spot and catch it. This improved camouflage increases the fox's chances of successfully hunting and avoiding predation, ultimately giving it a survival advantage in its environment. Therefore, the mutation causing white fur in the fox is beneficial and enhances its survival prospects in the snowy Arctic habitat.