| Date | May 2012 | Marks available | 3 | Reference code | 12M.3.SL.TZ1.11 |
| Level | Standard level | Paper | Paper 3 | Time zone | Time zone 1 |
| Command term | Outline | Question number | 11 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Outline the process of adaptive radiation.
Markscheme
new species evolve from one ancestral species;
species evolve in different ways to become adapted to different ecological roles;
divergent evolution / homology;
different environments provide different selection pressures/new niches become available;
valid example e.g. Galapagos finches/vertebrate pentadactyl limb;
Examiners report
There were some good answers to this question, with many students quoting the Galapagos finches as an example. On the lighter side, some candidates thought that the question was referring to ways of adapting to radiation, having completely misunderstood the wording.
