What is the role of mutations in the evolutionary process?

Mutations lead to changes in genes and subsequently in proteins. New signs appear that can have both useful properties and, conversely, harmful to their carriers. For example, a polar bear’s fur is white. Once upon a time, he had the same color as that of brown, but thanks to a mutation, the color of the coat became light. In the conditions of the polar north, this color helped to merge with snow, ice floes, that is, it gave advantages over other individuals during hunting. As a result, individuals with light colored fur successfully hunted and bred and became ubiquitous in these latitudes.