Mutations are important because it leads to:  

The correct answer is:

Genetic variation is required for a population to evolve.

• A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of an organism. Mutations can result from errors in DNA replication during cell division, exposure to mutagens or a viral infection.
• Mutation plays an important role in evolution. The ultimate source of all genetic variation is mutation. Mutation is important as the first step of evolution because it creates a new DNA sequence for a particular gene, creating a new allele.