Mutation and the Tree of Life

    What is a mutation? A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence. Although mutation sounds like a bad thing it doesn't necessarily mean that, it can be neutral, bad, or beneficial to the organism. Let's look at the image below, this type dog is usually spotless but something happen during DNA sequencing that changed the gene. Now it has several spots. This mutation would be beneficial or neutral for this dog because it might make it easier to find a home. This could be harmful to a wild dog because it would have a difficult time blending in. The type of mutation can influence the evolutionary trajectory of this population by increasing the number of dogs that get bred for spots.