Question

SCIENCE: GENETICS UNIT TEST.

A SPECIES OF FOX LIVES IN THE ARTIC 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, BENEFICAL, OR NEUDTRAL MUTATION? WOULD THIS MAKE THE FOX MORE OR LESS LIKELY TO SURVIVE? EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER IN 3 SHORT SENTENCES.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

This mutation would be classified as a beneficial mutation in this environment, as white fur would provide camouflage against predators in the snowy landscape. This adaptation would make the fox more likely to survive by increasing its chances of avoiding being seen by predators while hunting for food. Overall, this mutation would give the fox a survival advantage in its Arctic habitat.