The Development of Understanding of Genetics & Evolution Practice Questions

Which statement was one of Mendel's observations?

Tick (✓) one box.

• Characteristics are blended together in the offspring
• Characteristics acquired during an organism's lifetime are inherited
• The inheritance of each characteristic is determined by 'units' passed on to descendants unchanged
• The inheritance of each characteristic is determined by the structure of DNA

What name is given today to Mendel's 'units'?

Name the structures found in the nucleus of a cell on which these 'units' are located.

Describe three ways in which fossils may be formed.

Many species that are known only from fossils are now extinct.

What is meant by 'extinct'?

In which year did Wallace and Darwin publish joint writings on evolution by natural selection?

Tick (✓) one box.

• 1831
• 1858
• 1859
• 1953

Wallace is best known for his work on warning colouration in animals.

Some poisonous frogs have very bright colours.

Suggest how bright colouring helps these frogs to survive.

Describe how Lamarck would have explained the evolution of the cave fish with no working eyes.

Explain why scientists now reject this type of inheritance in the vast majority of cases.

Give one way in which Darwin's explanation of the cave fish would be different from Lamarck's.

Describe the steps by which the lizards on the island could become a new species.

Name the scientist, other than Darwin, who is best known for his theory of speciation.

Calculate the percentage increase in the percentage of samples that were resistant between 2010 and 2019.

Percentage increase = _______ %

Explain how the percentage of resistant bacteria in the hospital increased between 2010 and 2019.

Give two measures that could be taken to slow down the rate of development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.

Calculate the number of years between Mendel publishing his results and the structure of DNA being determined.

Number of years = _______

The importance of Mendel's work was not recognised until after his death.

Suggest why.

Give two things, other than reading the work of Wallace, that helped Darwin to develop his theory.

Explain why Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection was accepted only gradually, but is accepted by almost all scientists today.

[6 marks]

Use the table to determine the length of time for which Dimetrodon is known to have existed.

Time = _______ million years

Calculate how many times longer Coelophysis is known to have existed compared with Lystrosaurus.

The student concluded that Lystrosaurus existed on Earth for exactly 5 million years.

Explain why this conclusion may not be correct.

Give two factors that may have contributed to the extinction of these animals.