1. 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 harmful, beneficial, or neutral? Would this make the fox more or less likely to survive
In this case, the mutation that causes the arctic fox to have white fur would be classified as beneficial. This is because the white fur helps the fox blend in with its snowy surroundings, making it less visible to its predators such as eagles, wolves, and polar bears. As a result, the white fur mutation increases the likelihood of survival for the arctic fox in its harsh environment.
