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EnglandGeologyQuick questions
Module 2 and 4: Fossils and time; Interpreting the past
Quick questions on Evolution and the fossil record: gradualism, punctuated equilibrium and mass extinctions - OCR A-Level Geology
6short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What are evidence for evolution from fossils?Show answer
The fossil record provides direct evidence that life has changed through time:
What is models of evolutionary change?Show answer
Two models describe the rate of change:
What are effects?Show answer
Mass extinctions empty ecological niches and remove dominant groups, reducing competition. Survivors then undergo adaptive radiation, rapidly diversifying to fill the vacated niches (for example mammals radiating after the dinosaurs). So mass extinctions are turning points that reset the course of evolution, and they conveniently mark the boundaries between eras.
What is q1?Show answer
State one type of fossil evidence for evolution. [1 mark]
What is q2?Show answer
Describe how punctuated equilibrium would appear in the fossil record. [2 marks]
What is q3?Show answer
Explain one effect of a mass extinction on later evolution. [2 marks]
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