Final answer:
Fur color in rabbits affects their survival through the principles of natural selection and adaptation. In snowy environments, white fur acts as camouflage, enhancing survival, while in rocky environments, gray or Himalayan fur is more advantageous.
Step-by-step explanation:
In analyzing how fur color affects the rabbit’s ability to survive in different environments, we should consider the principles of natural selection and adaptation. For instance, in a snowy environment, white fur provides camouflage against the snow, making it harder for predators like foxes to spot and catch these rabbits. This improves the rabbits' chances of survival and reproduction, allowing the trait of white fur to be passed on to offspring.
Over time, the selection pressure will favor white fur, and rabbits with dark fur will become uncommon, as seen in the Arctic hares. Conversely, in a rocky environment, rabbits with gray and Himalayan (gray and white) fur blend in better than white rabbits, leading to diversifying selection where these fur colors become advantageous for survival.
Additionally, the Himalayan phenotype, with fur that is darker on the cooler extremities of the rabbit's body, is due to an allele that produces a temperature-sensitive gene product. This adaptation also shows how different alleles can produce varying amounts of fur pigment, with the wild-type allele typically providing the correct dosage and mutant alleles providing lesser or no pigment.
The survival of rabbits in various environments is a clear example of how genetic factors influence the natural process of selection.