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 fox more or less likely to survive
The mutation causing white fur in the arctic fox can be classified as a beneficial mutation. The environment in which these foxes live, with a snowy terrain, makes the white fur advantageous as it provides camouflage, which helps the foxes to blend in with their surroundings. This increased camouflage makes it easier for them to hunt their prey while also reducing the chances of being detected by predators such as eagles and wolves. Therefore, the white fur mutation increases the fox's chances of survival, making it more likely to survive compared to foxes with brown fur.
