AQA GCSE Biology Biology Paper 2 (Higher), June 2024: Question 1

8 marks · Standard Demand difficulty · Short Answer

Define mutation, describe natural selection, identify scientists involved in evolution theory, and explain how mimicry helps a hoverfly survive.

Practise this question

Question

Question 01 consists of four parts. Part 01.1 asks what a mutation is for 1 mark. Part 01.2 asks to describe the process of natural selection for 3 marks. Part 01.3 provides four pairs of scientists to choose from via a checkbox: Alexander Fleming and Carl Woese, Alfred Wallace and Alexander Fleming, Alfred Wallace and Charles Darwin, or Charles Darwin and Carl Woese for 1 mark. Part 01.4 provides Figure 1, illustrating a hoverfly and a wasp both showing striped yellow and black markings. Text states that wasps have a sting to defend against predators while hoverflies do not, and both live in the same habitat. Students must explain how having yellow and black markings helps the hoverfly survive for 3 marks.
Question text

01 Evolution of new species occurs by mutation and natural selection.

01.1 What is a mutation?

[1 mark]

01.2 Describe the process of natural selection.

[3 marks]

01.3 Which scientists suggested the theory of evolution by natural selection?

[1 mark]

Tick ( ) one box.

Alexander Fleming and Carl Woese

Alfred Wallace and Alexander Fleming

Alfred Wallace and Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin and Carl Woese 3

01.4 The hoverfly and the wasp are insects with bright yellow and black markings.

Figure 1 shows a hoverfly and a wasp.

Figure 1

The wasp has a sting to defend itself against predators.

The hoverfly does not have a sting.

Hoverflies and wasps live in the same habitat.

Explain how having yellow and black markings helps the hoverfly survive.

[3 marks]

Mark scheme

Show the mark scheme Mark scheme for Question 1 showing: 01.1 accepts a change in DNA, base code/nucleotide sequence, base, gene/allele, part of a chromosome, number of chromosomes, or genetic code/material (1 mark). 01.2 awards 3 marks for any three of: variation between members of a species, better adapted survive, survivors reproduce, and pass on favourable alleles/genes/mutations. 01.3 awards 1 mark for Alfred Wallace and Charles Darwin. 01.4 awards 3 marks for: hoverfly looks like a wasp; predator avoids wasps so it does not get stung; and so predator does not attack or eat the hoverfly. Total 8 marks.

Question 1

AO /

Question Answers Extra information Mark

Spec Ref.

01.1 a change in: 1 AO1

4.6.2.1

• DNA

• base code or nucleotide

sequence

• base (in DNA)

• gene / allele

• part of a chromosome

• number of chromosomes

• genetic code / material ignore genetic information /

variation

ignore reference to amino acids

or proteins

AO /

Spec Ref.

01.2 allow in terms of an example AO1

4.6.2.1

any three from: 3

4.6.2.2

• variation (between members ignore mutation 4.6.3.1

of a species)

• better adapted survive allow survival of the fittest

• (better adapted or survivors)

reproduce allow converse

• pass on (favourable) ignore passing on genetic

allele(s) / gene(s) / material or chromosomes or

mutation(s) characteristic

AO /

Spec Ref.

01.3 Alfred Wallace and Charles 1 AO1

Darwin 4.6.2.2

– – – 4.6.3.1

4.6.3.2

AO /

Spec Ref.

01.4 hoverfly looks like a wasp allow pattern of the markings is 1 AO3

similar (on the hoverfly and 4.6.3.2

wasp) 4.7.1.1

4.7.1.4 7

ignore predator / animal thinks

the hoverfly is a wasp

predator / animal avoids wasps 1

so it does not get stung

(so) predator / animal does not allow correctly named predator 1

attack / eat hoverfly ignore bite / harm

Total Question 1 8

How to answer it

Mutation, Natural Selection, and Mimicry

📌 What this question tests

This question assesses your recall and application of key ideas from Inheritance, Variation and Evolution (AQA Topic 6):

  • Recall: The precise scientific definition of a mutation.
  • Process description: Explaining the four sequential stages of natural selection.
  • Scientific history: Identifying the co-discoverers of evolution by natural selection.
  • Application (AO3): Applying knowledge of adaptations and mimicry to explain how warning colours aid survival in a predator-prey relationship.
Question 01.1 · 1 Mark

Defining a Mutation

What is a mutation?

✅ Acceptable Answers (Any one)

  • A change in the DNA
  • A change in a gene or allele
  • A change in the base sequence (or nucleotide sequence / base in DNA)
  • A change in part or number of chromosomes
Award 1 mark for identifying a change in DNA, gene, or base code.

❌ Common Errors

  • Vague terms like "a change in genetic information" or "a variation in a person" (ignored by the mark scheme).
  • Saying "a change in amino acids" or "a change in proteins" (these are consequences of a mutation, not the mutation itself).
Question 01.2 · 3 Marks

The Mechanism of Natural Selection

Describe the process of natural selection.

✅ Full-Mark Answer (Any 3 points)

  1. There is variation between members of a species.
  2. Organisms with characteristics best suited to the environment (better adapted) survive (or survival of the fittest).
  3. The surviving individuals reproduce.
  4. They pass on the favourable alleles (or genes) to their offspring.
1 mark per distinct point (maximum 3 marks).

🧠 Exam Technique: The "V-S-R-G" Chain

Always write natural selection as a strict 4-step logical chain:

  • V – Variation exists in the population.
  • S – Best adapted Survive competition/predation.
  • R – Survivors Reproduce.
  • G – Pass on beneficial Genes/alleles to next generation.

❌ Common Errors & Mark Losers

  • Saying they pass on "characteristics" instead of genes or alleles. Characteristics cannot be passed on directly—only genetic material is inherited.
  • Writing "organisms adapt to survive" as if animals choose to change during their lifetime (Lamarckian error).
  • Listing "mutation" as one of the steps: the mark scheme explicitly states ignore mutation here because the question asks for the process of selection itself.
Question 01.3 · 1 Mark

Key Scientists Behind Evolution

Which scientists suggested the theory of evolution by natural selection?

✅ Correct Option

☑ Alfred Wallace and Charles Darwin

1 mark for ticking the 3rd box only.

💡 Who Were the Others?

  • Alexander Fleming: Discovered the antibiotic penicillin (1928).
  • Carl Woese: Introduced the three-domain system (Archaea, Bacteria, Eukaryota).
  • Alfred Russel Wallace: Independently proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection and jointly published with Darwin in 1858.
Question 01.4 · 3 Marks

Application: Hoverfly Mimicry

Explain how having yellow and black markings helps the hoverfly survive.

✅ 3-Step Marking Scheme

  1. The hoverfly looks like / mimics a wasp (or has a similar warning pattern). [1 mark]
  2. Predators (e.g. birds) avoid wasps so they do not get stung. [1 mark]
  3. Therefore, predators do not attack / eat the hoverfly. [1 mark]

🧠 Exam Technique: Cause & Effect

Don't stop at "it looks like a wasp". The question asks how this helps it survive. You must state:

Appearance → Predator behaviour towards wasp → Outcome for hoverfly

❌ Common Misconceptions to Avoid

  • Anthropomorphic thinking: Do NOT write "the bird thinks the hoverfly is a wasp". Examiners ignore statements attributing complex human conscious thoughts to animals.
  • Vague harm: Writing "predators don't bite/harm it" is often rejected. Use precise biological terms: eat, kill, or attack.
  • Forgetting the sting: You must explain why predators avoid wasps in the first place (wasps sting / cause pain).

Topics

Biology · B6: Inheritance, Variation and Evolution · B7: Ecology

Question and mark scheme from the AQA GCSE Biology examination, Biology Paper 2 (Higher), June 2024. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.