AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy Biology Paper 2 (Foundation), 2022: Question 3

9 marks · Standard Demand difficulty · Short Answer

Identify evidence for evolution, interpret an evolutionary tree for insects, and complete a classification table for the house fly.

Practise this question

Question

The image shows a multi-part biology exam question. It features a photograph of a fly trapped in amber (Figure 3) and a simplified evolutionary tree (Figure 4) for insects, showing branches for silverfish, dragonflies, grasshoppers, cockroaches, true bugs, beetles, and ants/bees/flies. The tree includes labels A, B, C, and D for common ancestors and indicates where wings evolved and became folded. There is also a classification table (Table 2) for the house fly (Musca domestica) with empty cells for Kingdom, Class, Genus, and Species.
Question text

03 The theory of evolution by natural selection was suggested by

Charles Darwin in 1859.

Evidence from fossils supports Darwin’s theory.

03.1 What evidence supports the theory of evolution by natural selection?

[1 mark]

Tick ( ) one box.

Knowledge of how DNA controls inheritance

Knowledge of how the dinosaurs became extinct

Knowledge of how the Earth was formed

Knowledge of what causes global warming13

03.2 Figure 3 shows a fossil fly preserved in amber.

The fossil formed when the amber solidified with the fly trapped inside.

Figure 3

Why has the fly been preserved?

[1 mark]

Tick ( ) one box.

The amber has been kept at a constant temperature.

The fly was soft-bodied.

There was no oxygen in the amber.14

Figure 4 shows a simplified evolutionary tree for the insect group of animals.

Figure 4

Present day insects

03.3 Which present day insect evolved first?

[1 mark]

03.4 Animals A, B, C and D were ancestors of present day insects.

Which animal is the most recent ancestor of both grasshoppers and beetles?

[1 mark]

Tick ( ) one box.

A B C D

03.5 Name the group of present day insects which have wings which do not fold.

[1 mark]

03.6 The house fly has the binomial name Musca domestica.

Table 2 shows part of the classification for the house fly.

Table 2

Classification group Name

Kingdom

Phylum arthropoda

Class

Order diptera

Family muscidae

Genus

Species

Complete Table 2.

Choose answers from the box.

[3 marks]

animalia domestica16 Musca insecta

03.7 Carl Woese proposed the ‘three-domain system’ of classification.

Which domain are insects in?

[1 mark]

Tick ( ) one box.

Archaea

Eukaryota

Prokaryota

Mark scheme

Show the mark scheme The mark scheme lists the correct answers for question 3. For 03.1, the answer is 'knowledge of how DNA controls inheritance'. For 03.2, 'there was no oxygen in the amber'. For 03.3, 'silverfish'. For 03.4, 'C'. For 03.5, 'dragonflies'. For 03.6, the table is completed with Kingdom: animalia, Class: insecta, Genus: Musca, and Species: domestica. For 03.7, the domain is 'eukaryota'.

Question 3

AO /

Question Answers Extra information Mark

Spec. Ref.

03.1 knowledge of how DNA controls 1 AO1

inheritance 4.6.3.1

AO /

Spec. Ref.

03.2 there was no oxygen in the 1 AO2

amber 4.6.3.1

4.6.3.2

AO /

Spec. Ref.

03.3 silverfish ignore A 1 AO3

4.6.3.2

AO /

Spec. Ref.

03.4 C 1 AO2

4.6.3.2

AO /

Spec. Ref.

03.5 dragonflies ignore A / B 1 AO3

– OMBINED SCIENCE: TRILOGY – – 4.6.3.2

AO /

Spec. Ref.

03.6 all correct for 3 marks 3 AO2

allow 2 marks for 2 or 3 correct 4.6.4

allow 1 mark for 1 correct

animalia allow animals

insecta allow insects

Musca

domestica

ignore italics and upper / lower

case letters

AO /

Spec. Ref.

03.7 eukaryota 1 AO2

4.6.4

Total Question 3 9

How to answer it

Evolution, Fossils, and Classification

What this question tests

This question assesses your understanding of evidence for evolution, the specific conditions required for fossil preservation, how to interpret evolutionary trees (phylogeny), and the Linnaean and Three-Domain classification systems.

Part (a) - 03.1 & 03.2

Evidence and Preservation

Correct Answers

  • 03.1: Knowledge of how DNA controls inheritance [1 mark]
  • 03.2: There was no oxygen in the amber [1 mark]

Key Knowledge

Darwin's theory was originally controversial because he couldn't explain how traits were passed on. Modern genetics (DNA) provided the "missing link" that proved his theory correct.

Decay is caused by microbes. Microbes usually need oxygen to respire. If oxygen is absent (like inside amber or peat bogs), decay cannot happen, and soft parts are preserved.

Part (b) - 03.3, 03.4 & 03.5

Interpreting Evolutionary Trees

Using Figure 4

Correct Answers

  • 03.3: Silverfish [1 mark]
  • 03.4: C [1 mark]
  • 03.5: Dragonflies [1 mark]

Exam Technique

Reading the Tree:

  • First evolved: Look for the branch that splits off earliest (closest to the left/start of the diagram).
  • Common Ancestor: To find the ancestor of two groups, trace their lines back until they meet at a single junction (node).
  • Trait Tracking: Follow the arrows. Dragonflies appear after "Wings evolved" but before "Wings became folded".

Common Errors

Students often pick "A" for the first insect to evolve. A is an ancestor, not a "present day insect". Always check if the question asks for a specific animal named at the end of the branches.

Part (c) - 03.6

The Linnaean System

Completing Table 2

Correct Table Completion

  • Kingdom: animalia
  • Class: insecta
  • Genus: Musca
  • Species: domestica

3 marks: All 4 correct. 2 marks: 2 or 3 correct. 1 mark: 1 correct.

Key Knowledge

The hierarchy of classification is: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Mnemonic: Kids Play Chess On Fancy Glass Steps.

Binomial Naming

The scientific name Musca domestica always gives you the last two levels:

  • First word (Capitalised) = Genus
  • Second word (lowercase) = Species
Part (d) - 03.7

Three-Domain System

Correct Answer

Eukaryota [1 mark]

The Three Domains

  • Archaea: Primitive bacteria usually living in extreme environments.
  • Bacteria: True bacteria.
  • Eukaryota: Everything with a nucleus (Plants, Animals, Fungi, Protists).

Examiner Insight

Since insects are animals, they must belong to the Eukaryota domain. This system was proposed by Carl Woese based on chemical analysis (RNA), which showed that some "bacteria" were actually very different from others.

Topics

Biology · B6: Inheritance, Variation and Evolution

Question and mark scheme from the AQA GCSE Combined Science: Trilogy examination, Biology Paper 2 (Foundation), 2022. QuestionVault is an independent revision resource; questions remain the copyright of the awarding body.