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 please, and do it with 3-5 simple sentences
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 helps the fox blend in with its snowy environment, providing camouflage against its predators. This adaptation increases the fox's chances of survival by allowing it to effectively hunt for food and avoid being detected by eagles, wolves, and polar bears.
