Natural Selection & Evolution Practice Questions

Question 1

3 marks

Fossils give scientists evidence about human evolution.

The table shows information about three fossils.

Fossil	Age (millions of years ago)	Estimated brain volume (cm $^3$ )
Ardi	4.4	350
Lucy	3.2	400
Fossil found by Richard Leakey	1.6	900

(a)

Describe the trend in brain volume shown by the three fossils in the table.

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(b)

Apart from brain size, state two other structural changes in human evolution that can be seen in fossilised bones.

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Question 2

4 marks

Figure 1 shows two stone tools found by archaeologists at the same site.

Tool A is a rounded pebble with one chipped edge. Tool B has been shaped on both sides to a sharp point.

(a)

Which tool, A or B, was most likely made by a more recent human ancestor?

Give a reason for your answer, using Figure 1.

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(b)

Describe how scientists can use the environment in which a stone tool is found to work out the age of the tool.

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Question 0

7 marks

African elephants are hunted illegally for their ivory tusks. A small number of female elephants are born without tusks.

Scientists checked adult female elephants in one national park in 1970 and again in 2020.

Year	Number of adult female elephants checked	Number of these with no tusks
1970	200	10
2020	150	72

(a)

Calculate the increase in the percentage of adult female elephants with no tusks between 1970 and 2020.

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(b)

Explain how natural selection could have caused the increase in the number of female elephants with no tusks.

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Question 0

6 marks

On some dairy farms an antibiotic was added to the feed of all the cows every day to prevent udder infections.

The table shows the percentage of bacteria samples taken from these farms that were resistant to this antibiotic.

Year	Percentage of bacteria samples resistant to the antibiotic (%)
2005	4
2010	11
2015	26
2020	43

(a)

Calculate how many times greater the percentage of resistant samples was in 2020 compared with 2005.

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(b)

Explain how the bacteria on these farms became resistant to the antibiotic.

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Question 0

4 marks

For many years living organisms were placed into five kingdoms. Scientists now often use a three domain classification system instead.

(a)

Which of these is one of the three domains?

Put a cross ( ☒ ) in the box next to your answer.

A ☐ Protista

B ☐ Archaea

C ☐ Fungi

D ☐ Animalia

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(b)

Name the other two domains.

/ 1

(c)

In the five kingdom system, archaea were placed in the same kingdom as bacteria.

Explain why scientists now place archaea in a separate domain from bacteria.

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Question 0

4 marks

The table shows data from three hominid fossil skeletons, P, Q and R, found at different sites.

Fossil	Brain volume (cm $^3$ )	Length of arm bone ÷ length of leg bone	Position of big toe
P	400	0.90	points out to the side
Q	900	0.74	in line with the other toes
R	1350	0.71	in line with the other toes

(a)

Use the data in the table to put the fossils in order from the oldest to the most recent. Give a reason for the order you have chosen.

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(b)

Explain how the data about the big toe and the arm:leg ratio provide evidence for the evolution of bipedalism.

/ 2

Question 0

4 marks

Warfarin is a poison that has been used to kill rats since the 1950s. Within 10 years of warfarin first being used, rats that were not killed by warfarin were found in several countries. Most rat populations in the UK now contain these rats.

(a)

Name the selection pressure acting on the rat populations.

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(b)

Explain how the spread of warfarin-resistant rats supports Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.

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Question 0

6 marks

Scientists use fossils and stone tools as evidence for how humans evolved.

Explain how this evidence shows that humans have evolved, and evaluate the limitations of using this evidence.

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Question 0

6 marks

Almost all the bananas sold in UK supermarkets are one variety. Every plant of this variety is genetically identical.

A soil fungus causes Panama disease, which kills banana plants. Farmers spray their plants with a fungicide to kill the fungus. Some fungi are now not killed by the fungicide.

(a)

Explain, using your knowledge of natural selection, why a plantation of genetically identical banana plants could be completely destroyed by Panama disease.

/ 3

(b)

Explain how the fungus became able to survive being sprayed with the fungicide.

/ 3

Key Concepts in Biology

Cells & Control

Genetics

Natural Selection & Genetic Modification

Health, Disease & the Development of Medicines

Plant Structures & their Functions

Animal Coordination, Control & Homeostasis

Exchange & Transport in Animals

Ecosystems & Material Cycles

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