Biology · AQA Paper 2
Evidence for Evolution and Classification
The evidence that supports the theory of evolution and how scientists classify living things: fossils, extinction, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the Linnaean system, the three-domain system and evolutionary trees, and, for separate Biology only, the work of Darwin, Wallace and Mendel. Matches AQA topics 4.6.3 (the development of understanding of genetics and evolution) and 4.6.4 (classification of living organisms). The first five lessons are for both Combined Science and separate Biology; the lessons on Darwin and Lamarck, on Wallace and speciation, and on Mendel are for separate Biology only.
Lessons
Ticks are remembered on this device only.
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1
Fossils and the Fossil Record
How do we know that life on Earth has changed over millions of years? This lesson is for both Combined Science and separate Biology. It explains what fossils…
8 terms -
2
Extinction
More than 99% of the species that have ever lived on Earth have died out. This lesson is for both Combined Science and separate Biology. It defines extinction…
8 terms -
3
Antibiotic-resistant Bacteria
Natural selection is not just something that happened millions of years ago. It is happening in hospitals today. This lesson is for both Combined Science and…
8 terms -
4
Classification and the Linnaean System
There are millions of species on Earth, and biologists need a system to name and sort them. This lesson is for both Combined Science and separate Biology. It…
8 terms -
5
The Three-domain System and Evolutionary Trees
Classification has changed as scientists have found better evidence. This lesson is for both Combined Science and separate Biology. It covers how microscopes…
8 terms -
6
Darwin, Lamarck and the Theory of Evolution
This lesson is for separate Biology only: Combined Science students do not need it. It covers how Charles Darwin developed the theory of evolution by natural…
8 terms -
Knowledge organiser
The whole chapter on a page or two of A4 — to revise from on screen or print.
Key terms in this chapter
All 48, gathered from every lesson.
- Fossil
- The remains of an organism from millions of years ago, found in rock.
- Fossil record
- All the fossils that have been found, which shows how life has changed.
- Decay
- The breakdown of dead material by microorganisms.
- Mineral
- A natural solid chemical, such as one that replaces the hard parts of an organism to form a fossil.
- Trace fossil
- A preserved sign of an organism, such as a footprint, burrow or rootlet trace.
- Amber
- Hardened tree resin that can trap and preserve small organisms.
- Soft-bodied
- Having no hard parts such as bones or shells.
- Sedimentary rock
- Rock formed from layers of sediment that have been squashed together.
- Extinction
- When there are no remaining individuals of a species still alive.
- Mass extinction
- An event in which a large proportion of the world's species die out at the same time.
- Predator
- An animal that kills and eats other animals.
- Competitor
- An organism that uses the same resources as another organism.
- Catastrophic event
- A sudden event, such as a volcanic eruption or an asteroid collision, that changes the environment greatly.
- Habitat
- The place where an organism lives.
- Endangered
- At risk of becoming extinct.
- Pathogen
- A microorganism that causes disease.
- Antibiotic
- A drug that kills bacteria or stops them growing, without harming human cells.
- Resistant
- Not killed by an antibiotic.
- Strain
- A genetically different type of the same species of microorganism.
- Pathogen
- A microorganism that causes disease.
- MRSA
- A strain of bacteria that is resistant to many antibiotics.
- Mutation
- A change in the base sequence of DNA.
- Natural selection
- The process in which the best-suited individuals survive and breed.
- Immune
- Protected against a particular pathogen.
- Classification
- Sorting living things into groups according to their characteristics.
- Linnaean system
- A system that classifies living things into kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus and species.
- Kingdom
- The largest group in the Linnaean system, such as animals or plants.
- Genus
- A group of very similar species, and the first part of a binomial name.
- Species
- The smallest group in the system, and the second part of a binomial name.
- Binomial system
- Naming an organism using its genus and species.
- Taxonomy
- The science of naming and classifying living things.
- Carl Linnaeus
- The Swedish scientist who developed the system of classification and the binomial naming system.
- Domain
- The highest level of classification, above the kingdom, in the three-domain system.
- Archaea
- Primitive bacteria, usually living in extreme environments.
- Bacteria
- The true bacteria, in one of the three domains.
- Eukaryota
- The domain of organisms with a nucleus in their cells: protists, fungi, plants and animals.
- Evolutionary tree
- A diagram that shows how scientists believe organisms are related.
- Common ancestor
- An organism from which two or more groups have evolved.
- Extremophile
- An organism that lives in extreme conditions, such as very hot or very salty places.
- Carl Woese
- The scientist who proposed the three-domain system, using chemical analysis.
- Theory of evolution
- The idea that all species have evolved from simple life forms by natural selection.
- Charles Darwin
- The scientist who proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection.
- On the Origin of Species
- The book Darwin published in 1859 to set out his theory.
- Naturalist
- A person who studies plants and animals in their natural environment.
- Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
- The scientist who suggested that changes during an organism's life can be inherited.
- Inheritance
- The passing of characteristics from parents to offspring in genes.
- Controversy
- A disagreement that continues for a long time between groups of people.
- Mechanism
- How something works, such as how characteristics are passed on.