EVOLUTION

QUESTIONSHEET 1
Myxomatosis is a virus disease in rabbits which is transmitted from rabbit to rabbit by rabbit fleas. The
virus causes blindness and then death. 12 rabbits were released in Australia in 1859. They
reproduced rapidly and started to spread quickly, so that by 1886 they were advancing at about 66
miles per year. By 1905 they had spanned the continent. Rabbit proof fencing was inadequate to halt
their progress.
In an attempt to control the huge rabbit population myxomatosis was introduced in 1950. It spread
through the rabbit population resulting in a 99.9% mortality rate. Over the next few years, however, the
rabbit population recovered although not to the pre-myxomatosis numbers. The mortality rate to
myxomatosis in rabbits at present is around 40%.
(a) Suggest two reasons for the rapid spread of rabbits across Australia between 1859 and 1905.
1 The rabbits had no competitors and were able to occupy a vacant ecological niche.
2 The rabbits had no predators, such as foxes.
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(b) Suggest two reasons for the very high mortality rate in the rabbit population when myxomatosis
was introduced in 1950.
1 The rabbits had no immunity to the myxomatosis virus.
2 The rabbits reproduced in huge number, meaning dense populations, where the virus could spread rapidly.
[2]
(c) With reference to the genetic mechanisms involved; explain the recovery of the rabbit population
from the devastating effects of myxomatosis after its introduction in 1950.
Immunity to the virus is controlled by a gene which is present in the population of rabbits in two versions
(alleles), one which gives immunity and one which does not give immunity. At first the allele for lack of immunity
was most common so the rabbits with that allele died. The small number of rabbits with the allele for immunity
survived and were able to reproduce, leaving offspring with the immunity allele. After a time the majority of the
rabbit population had the immunity allele and so rabbit numbers increased again.
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(d) Suggest why there is still a 40% mortality rate to myxomatosis in present day rabbit populations.
The allele for lack of immunity remains in the rabbit population. It may be the recessive allele.
[2]
EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION
QUESTIONSHEET 2
Only some parts of some animals and plants are fossilised. Usually, when animals and plants die their
bodies are covered by earth and they rot away. The organisms have to be in the right place at the right
time to become fossilised. Over time, the fossils are covered by earth, become compressed and
change into rock. Three main ways that fossils form are:
the body ends up in a place where decay is prevented, e.g.

frozen marshes, peat bogs, dry caves

parts of the plant or animal are replaced by other substances as
they decay, e.g. bones, teeth, xylem
hard parts of bodies decay very slowly, e.g. teeth, xylem, hair.
1 Give one other way in which living organisms may become fossilised.
Fossils can also be formed inside plant fluids, which solidify and become known as amber. Decay and
fossilisation will not happen where there is no oxygen for the decomposer organisms.
[1]
2 Explain why the soft parts of the body are not fossilised.
The soft parts of the body are rapidly decomposed and decayed by invertebrates or bacteria or fungi, which use
these tissues as a source of food. Bones are harder to decompose.
[2]
EVOLUTION- THE BIG IDEA
QUESTIONSHEET 3
Iguanas are land-living reptiles. The adults feed on a variety of land plants while younger iguanas feed
on insects. They are found in many parts of the world, and share features in common with each other.
Charles Darwin studied the iguanas on the Galapagos islands and found that there were several
different types of iguanas. It appears that Ctenosaura, the black or spiny-tailed iguana of Central
America, is ancestral to Galapagos iguanas. The Galapagos iguanas feed on different types of food
and showed differences in their adaptations to obtaining food. Land iguanas feed on the fruit and pads
of Opuntia cactus. It is not unusual to see them sitting under a cactus, waiting for pieces to fall. They
normally use their front feet to scrape the larger thorns from the pads, but ignore the smaller thorns.
Usually they gulp down a cactus fruit in a few swallows. On some islands where their usual food was
scarce, iguanas adapted to feeding on seaweed. The claws of the sea iguanas are long and sharp by
comparison with the land iguana, to enable them to cling to rocks along the shore, and resist being
pulled away by heavy waves. These claws also enable them to cling to their underwater feeding sites.
Darwin used these iguanas as examples of evolution occurring by natural selection.
1 What is meant by natural selection?
The theory of evolution by natural selection, first formulated by Charles Darwin's book in 1859, is the process
by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioural traits. Changes
that allow an organism to better adapt to its environment will help it survive and have more offspring.
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2 Explain how natural selection has given rise to different sorts of iguanas.
The two species of iguana now present on Galpagos have evolved from a single common ancestor
(Ctenosaura). After their arrival on the islands, the ancestral iguana reproduced until there was competition for
food. The iguanas better adapted to the two sorts of food on the islands were able to survive and reproduce.
Each population evolved better and better adaptations to either seaweed or cactus fruits until the two
populations became distinctly different species and could be called either land iguanas or sea iguanas.
[3]

3 Evolution occurs by gradual changes from a common ancestor over long periods. How do these
iguanas provide evidence for evolution?
The common ancestor was Ctenosaurus, which no longer exists. The two descendent species which do now exist
have characteristics which are different for each other, depending upon their food (cactus fruits or seaweed) and
where they live (land or water). The two species do not compete for the same food or living space.
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4 Give two reasons why people at the time when Darwin published On the Origin of Species did not
accept the idea of evolution.
1. England and Europe at the time of Darwin's publication believed religiously in the idea of special creationism
- all life had been created by God. It was heresy to propose any other idea.
2. Evolution was commonly understood to mean that humans were related to apes. This was obviously not
accepted by the general public.
(3. Scientists also argued that Darwin did not provide sufficient evidence for his theory.)
[2]
Lamark was a scientist working around the same time as Darwin, and he also developed a theory of
evolution. Lamark believed that offspring inherit characteristics that their parents have acquired as a
result of changes that occur as they struggle to survive. Darwin believed that differences between
living organisms occur by chance, and those with the best characteristics survive to breed, passing on
their characteristics.
5 Present-day giraffes have much longer necks than fossil forms of giraffes.
Describe how:
a Lamarks theory could be used to explain this increase in neck length?
Lamark would argue that in order to better obtain food from tall trees, giraffes stretched their necks. These
longer necks would then be passed on to their offspring.
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b Darwins theory could be used to explain this increase in neck length?
Darwin would suggest that those giraffes already with long necks would be survivors in a population and would
thus be able to reproduce. The long neck trait would therefore be passed on to the offspring. Short necked
giraffes would not survive and reproduce.
[2]