In desert areas covered with black rock from ancient lava flows, rock pocket mice with darker fur are common. In other areas of habitat with lighter-colored rock, the rock pocket mice tend to have lighter-colored fur. For rock pocket mice, fur color is an example of

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Fur color in rock pocket mice is an observable characteristic or trait, which is referred to as the phenotype. The phenotype includes all the observable characteristics of an organism, such as morphology, development, biochemical or physiological properties, behavior, and products of behavior. In this case, the variation in fur color among rock pocket mice depending on their habitat (dark vs. light rocks) is a direct example of phenotypic variation influenced by the environment.

In Desert Areas Covered with Black Rock from Ancient Lava