A mother alligator lays a clutch, or group, of eggs. When the babies hatch, one has a white hide, rather than the normal green. The white alligator grows normally and is as healthy as its siblings, but it's definitely easier to see against the green lake area in which the alligators live. What caused the white alligator's hide to be different from those of its siblings and parents?
A) Its genotype
B) Chance mutation
C) Adaptation
D) Natural selection

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The white alligator's anomaly was most likely caused by a chance mutation. This is because it was not an adaptation that gave the alligator an advantage for survival in its environment, and it is not due to natural selection as the white hide does not provide any survival advantage. The only option left is a chance mutation, which is a random, rare occurrence in the genetic code during cell division.

A Mother Alligator Lays a Clutch, or Group, of Eggs