Biology
The Genetics of Coat Color Polymorphism and Camouflage in Rock Pocket Mice
Quick fact
In rock pocket mice, a single mutation in the Mc1r gene can turn a light-colored mouse nearly black, and this mutation is found almost exclusively in mice living on dark volcanic rocks—a striking example of natural selection acting on a single gene.
Why this is interesting
Imagine walking through the desert and seeing mice that perfectly match the rocks they live on—dark mice on dark lava, light mice on light limestone. But how did they get so perfectly matched?