Practice Questions

1.What is meant by the term variation in a population?

Variation means the differences in characteristics between individuals of the same species.

2.A population of rabbits lives in a forest. Some rabbits have slightly darker fur due to a genetic mutation. If the forest becomes darker over time, explain how this variation might affect which rabbits survive and reproduce.

Rabbits show variation in fur colour due to a mutation, which has produced some rabbits with darker fur.

If the forest becomes darker, the darker rabbits are better camouflaged. This means they are less likely to be seen and eaten by predators.

As a result, the darker rabbits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

They pass on the allele for darker fur to their offspring. Over time, more rabbits in the population will have dark fur.

This means the population changes, as the advantageous characteristic becomes more common.

3.A plant species shows a wide range of heights. Suggest two reasons why some plants are taller than others.

Some plants are taller due to genetic differences (they inherit alleles for tall growth).

Some plants are taller due to environmental factors, such as more light, water, or nutrients.