If the weather in Virginia changed so dramatically that there was snow on the ground most of the year, what would occur in the local squirrel population?
A) Natural selection could not change the population of squirrels in response to such climatic changes.
B) If a mutation occurred that caused white fur to develop, such white squirrels would likely survive and reproduce better than gray squirrels.
C) Evolution would produce white squirrels because white squirrels survive and reproduce better than squirrels of any other color.
D) The change in the weather would cause a mutation that makes their fur white, resulting in white squirrels that survive and reproduce better than gray squirrels.
E) Natural selection would cause a new gene to appear in the population, resulting in squirrels growing white fur when there is snow on the ground and growing gray fur at other times.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

B is correct because in a snowy environment, white fur would provide camouflage, giving white squirrels a survival advantage over gray squirrels. This is an example of natural selection, where the environment selects for beneficial traits. Choices A, C, D, and E misunderstand how natural selection and mutations work. Natural selection acts on existing variation (like a mutation causing white fur) rather than causing new mutations or directly producing traits.

If the Weather in Virginia Changed So Dramatically That There