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A-LevelBiologySelection and evolution9700/43 · May/June 2018 · Q48 Marks

A study was carried out to investigate natural selection in the plant evening primrose, Oenothera biennis. Physiological changes associated with resistance to grazing by herbivorous insects were measured over 5 years in 16 experimental populations of evening primrose. For 8 of the experimental populations the plants were regularly sprayed with chemical insecticide, and the other 8 experimental populations were not sprayed. In each of the 5 years some older plants died after producing seeds and some new plants grew from seed. Observations after the study were: • sprayed populations: o The length of time that the plants produced flowers (flowering period) became longer. o Flowering started earlier in each generation. o The mean concentration of natural insect-deterring chemicals in the plants was relatively low. • non-sprayed populations: o The flowering period remained the same over the 5 years. o The mean concentration of natural insect-deterring chemicals in the plants increased. Analysis showed that genetic differences were responsible for the differences in flowering time and concentration of natural insect-deterring chemicals in the plants. The researchers concluded that natural selection was acting on both groups of plants.

  1. (a)Explain how natural selection acted in the non-sprayed populations to cause the mean concentration of natural insect-deterring chemicals to increase.[4]
  2. (b)(i)Identify the type of natural selection that caused an increase in the mean concentration of insect-deterring chemicals in the non-sprayed populations.[1]
  3. (b)(ii)Identify the type of natural selection that caused the flowering period to remain the same in the non-sprayed populations.[1]
  4. (c)The same trends in results were recorded in all of the non-sprayed populations. Explain how this supports the researchers' conclusion that natural selection caused the trends and not genetic drift.[2]

Mark scheme

Marking points from the official mark scheme (May/June 2018). The mark or mark type is shown in brackets.

  1. 4(a) four from:
  2. 1 spontaneous / random, mutation;
  3. 2 produces an allele coding for insect-deterring chemicals ;
  4. 3 (grazing by) insects, is selection pressure ;
  5. 4 plants with, alleles / mutations, have selective advantage / were selected for / ora ;
  6. 5 (plants with alleles / mutations) survived / reproduced / produced more seeds / ora;
  7. 6 passed on this allele (to offspring) ;
  8. 7 this allele increases in frequency ;
  9. 4(b)(i) directional;
  10. 4(b)(ii) stabilising;
  11. 4(c) (genetic drift) occurs due to chance events / ora for natural selection ;
  12. (genetic drift) shows no trend in results / ora for natural selection ;

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About this question

Topic
Selection and evolution, A-Level Biology (syllabus 9700). Structured question, 8 marks.
Source
A-Level Biology, May/June 2018 Paper 4 Variant 3, question 4.

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