Why do the dark-colored mice living on lava flows have white underbellies?
The mice’s underbellies are white because there’s so selective pressure for it to be dark; the predators come from above. The differences in mouse fur color are driven by natural selection. Why do the pocket mice in the dark lava environment have white underbellies? is a random change to an organism’s DNA sequence.
What is the genetic difference between light and dark-colored mice?
The difference between dark and light mice boils down to a difference of four chemical letters in a gene called MC1R. Because the gene controls the amount of dark pigment in a mouse’s hair follicles, a mouse with these mutations grows dark fur, which gives it an advantage on a dark background.
Why are some mice light and some mice dark?
Rock pocket mice can have either light-colored or dark-colored fur. As shown in the animation, mice that blend in with their surroundings are harder for owls and other predators to see. The dark-colored mouse is more vulnerable to predators in light-colored environments, such as sandy deserts.
What eats mice in the desert?
The desert woodrat lives in the most xeric (arid or dry) environments, while Merriam s mouse fills a niche in mesquite bosques. These little rodents are at the bottom of the vertebrate food chain, preyed upon by everything from coyotes and snakes to hawks and bobcats.
Why didn’t this phenotype become more common in the population?
Why didn’t this phenotype become more common in the population? The dark-colored mice arose in the population at location A by random mutation. The phenotype did not become more common because it did not afford a selective advantage to the mice. to reproduce and pass on their genes, including genes for fur color.
Why does a pocket mouse color influences its overall fitness?
Explain why a rock pocket mouse color influences its overall fitness. So, on the tan sand more light colored mice will survive because they blend in and on the dark lava rock more dark colored mice will survive and the allele for dark fur will be passed on to their offspring.
Why does the predator select white mice for food?
Explanation: In the daytime, the black mice are much easier to spot, and predators eat more black mice. The white mice stand out at night. This means owls eat more white mice at night.