How does natural selection change the frequency of genes or traits over many generations? Biology students conducted an experiment mimicking genetic variation and coloration. Students used different colored beans to represent animals that might be prey: mice, for example. A student in each group was the predator: a hawk. Beans (mice) were randomly scattered on multicolored floor tiles, each color within four tiles. The hawk collected mice (beans) for 10 seconds. Mice not eaten reproduced. Three generations of data a shown in the table.
Genetic variation helps to drive natural selection and potentially, evolution. Red, white, and striped beans (mice) represent offspring that are the product of meiosis and sexual reproduction. Black and speckled beans (mice) are the result of mutations. Using the student data analyze the effects of these mutations on natural selection.

A) The color mutations provided a survival advantage to these two populations of mice.

B) The advantage of the mutations is dependent on the environment and external conditions.

C) While mutations provide genetic variation they did not play a role in natural selection.

D) The speckled mutation provided an advantage while the black mutation was a disadvantage for survival.

Answer:
D) The speckled mutation provided an advantage while the black mutation was a disadvantage for survival.