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 and explain why

Question

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 and explain why

Answer 1

In the described scenario, the mutation causing the fox to have white fur instead of brown fur would be classified as a beneficial mutation. This is because the white fur will provide camouflage against the snowy background, making it easier for the fox to hunt prey and evade its predators.

The white fur adaptation increases the fox's chances of survival in its snowy Arctic habitat. With the white fur blending in with the white snow, the fox becomes less visible to potential prey, increasing its likelihood of capturing rodents and other small mammals successfully. Additionally, the white fur also helps the fox to avoid detection by its predators, such as eagles, wolves, and polar bears, which rely on sight during hunting.

Therefore, the white fur mutation provides a selective advantage for the foxes in terms of survival and reproductive success, making it beneficial for their existence in the snowy environment.