Classification and evolution: OCR A‑Level Biology A questions

Every OCR A-Level Biology A exam question on 4.2.2 Classification and evolution, 2016–2025, with its mark scheme and examiner’s report.

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Q7
June 2025 · Paper 2
1 mark4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q19(b)(iii)
June 2025 · Paper 2
2 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q19(c)
June 2025 · Paper 2
6 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q21(a)
June 2025 · Paper 2
2 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q21(b)
June 2025 · Paper 2
2 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q21(c)(i)
June 2025 · Paper 2
5 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q21(c)(ii)
June 2025 · Paper 2
3 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q20
June 2025 · AS Paper 1
1 mark4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q4(a)(i)
June 2025 · AS Paper 2
1 mark4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q4(a)(ii)
June 2025 · AS Paper 2
2 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q4(b)
June 2025 · AS Paper 2
2 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q4(c)
June 2025 · AS Paper 2
1 mark4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q4(d)
June 2025 · AS Paper 2
2 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q4(e)
June 2025 · AS Paper 2
6 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q5(a)(i)
June 2025 · AS Paper 2
1 mark4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q5(a)(ii)
June 2025 · AS Paper 2
1 mark4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q18(a)(i)
June 2024 · Paper 2
1 mark4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q18(a)(ii)
June 2024 · Paper 2
3 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q18(a)(iii)
June 2024 · Paper 2
2 marks4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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Q18(a)(iv)
June 2024 · Paper 2
1 mark4.2.2 Classification and evolution
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All 97 questions on Classification and evolution, as a list

June 2025, Paper 2, Q7 (1 mark): The image shows an organism called Euglena gracilis. Contractile vacuole Flagellum Chloroplast Nucleus Which kingdom does Euglena belong to? A Animalia B Planta
June 2025, Paper 2, Q19(b)(iii) (2 marks): Explain why the existence of a predator can improve the long-term survival of a species such as the puffin. [2]
June 2025, Paper 2, Q19(c) (6 marks): The Farne Islands are a group of small islands off the coast of Northern England. The Farne Islands are a National Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific
June 2025, Paper 2, Q21(a) (2 marks): Explain why the evolution of antibiotic resistance has implications for human populations. [2]
June 2025, Paper 2, Q21(b) (2 marks): Explain how antibiotic resistance in bacteria provides evidence for the theory of evolution by natural selection. [2]
June 2025, Paper 2, Q21(c)(i) (5 marks): Complete the sentences using the most appropriate terms. Mutations in DNA are random, so the more time that has passed the more mutations will have occurred. Th
June 2025, Paper 2, Q21(c)(ii) (3 marks): Explain how fossils can be used to support the theory of evolution by natural selection. [3]
June 2025, AS Paper 1, Q20 (1 mark): Dachshunds are a breed of dogs which were bred for hunting badgers. They have sharp front claws and a pointed snout to dig holes. What term describes this type
June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): The European dust mite is an insect with the binomial name Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. State one advantage of the binomial naming system. [1]
June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q4(a)(ii) (2 marks): Complete the table with the names of the taxa for the European dust mite. Taxa Name Kingdom Genus Species [2]
June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q4(b) (2 marks): Organisms were originally classified into five kingdoms. State two general features of organisms classified in the Plantae kingdom that are not features of orga
June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q4(c) (1 mark): State the relationship between classification and phylogeny. [1]
June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q4(d) (2 marks): State two differences between the five kingdom and three domain classification systems. 1 2 [2]
June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q4(e) (6 marks): (e)* Darwin observed birds called finches on the Galapagos Islands. All the different species of finches evolved from one species of finch that arrived from mai
June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Using the axes, sketch the shape of the graph you would expect the student to find. Number of clownfish 0 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Length (cm) [1]
June 2025, AS Paper 2, Q5(a)(ii) (1 mark): Individuals in a population show variation. Name two causes of variation. Cause 1 Cause 2 [1]
June 2024, Paper 2, Q18(a)(i) (1 mark): Name the classification taxon represented by the column headed A. [1]
June 2024, Paper 2, Q18(a)(ii) (3 marks): Using the information in the table, describe the evolutionary and genetic relationships between the species that are listed. [3]
June 2024, Paper 2, Q18(a)(iii) (2 marks): Explain why it is difficult to decide which of the other species would be the most appropriate to use as a source of DNA for constructing a thylacine genome. [2
June 2024, Paper 2, Q18(a)(iv) (1 mark): All the species in the table belong to the animal kingdom. Other than the presence or absence of vacuoles, state two features of the cells of these multicellula
June 2024, AS Paper 1, Q20 (1 mark): Bats are mammals that hunt insects while flying. Dolphins are mammals that hunt fish while swimming. Some bats and all dolphins use a technique known as echoloc
June 2023, Paper 2, Q14 (1 mark): Organisms are named using the binomial system. What is the correct way to represent the binomial name for domestic dogs? A Canis familiaris B Canis familiaris C
June 2023, Paper 3, Q4(b)(ii) (2 marks): Adaptations can be categorised into three different types: • anatomical • behavioural • physiological. The table lists four traits that kakapos have evolved. Co
June 2023, Paper 3, Q7(a) (3 marks): The table shows a comparison of some features of the three domains. Feature Archaea Bacteria Eukarya Type of DNA polymerase SFB and SFD SFA and SFC SFB Type of
June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q5 (1 mark): The giraffe is a species of mammal with the species name ‘camelopardalis’ and the genus name ‘Giraffa’. What is the correct format for the binomial name of the
June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q6 (1 mark): Which kingdom contains species that are heterotrophic and composed of hyphae? A Fungi B Plantae C Prokaryotae D Protoctista Your answer [1]
June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q24(a) (2 marks): Diatoms are single-celled organisms that have glass-like cell walls, which can be preserved as fossils. The graph shows the fossil record for two species of dia
June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q24(b) (3 marks): A student analyses the estimated ages of 16 species of diatom. The estimated ages show how long ago the species evolved from an ancestor. The student compares e
June 2023, AS Paper 1, Q24(c) (3 marks): Diatoms are members of the domain Eukarya. Complete the sentences about domains using the most appropriate terms. The process of sorting of organisms into taxon
June 2022, Paper 2, Q14 (1 mark): Evolutionary relationships can be determined by comparing certain biological molecules between species. Which option is commonly used to determine evolutionary
June 2022, Paper 2, Q19(a)(i) (5 marks): In the space provided, plot the results from the table as a suitable graph. [5]
June 2022, Paper 2, Q19(a)(ii) (2 marks): Variation can be caused by genetic and environmental factors. Explain why your graph shows that at least some of the variation in body length in Atlantic cod is
June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q6(a)(i) (1 mark): With reference to Fig. 6.1, suggest a purpose for the adaptation of attaching and stacking the old exoskeleton heads. [1]
June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q6(a)(ii) (1 mark): Name the genus of the gum-leaf skeletoniser moth. [1]
June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q6(a)(iii) (1 mark): The table shows some taxonomic descriptions for the gum-leaf skeletoniser moth. They are not in the correct hierarchical sequence. Complete the table to show th
June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q6(b) (4 marks): The peppered moth, Biston betularia, has two forms, a pale form and a dark form, both shown in Fig. 6.2. Pale form Dark form Fig. 6.2 Predators of the peppered
June 2022, AS Paper 2, Q6(c) (2 marks): Fig. 6.3 shows two types of mole and some information about each type. Placental mole family Talpidae Found in: North America, Asia and Europe Habitat: Lives in
November 2021, Paper 2, Q12 (1 mark): Brassica rapa is a plant that occurs in wild-type and dwarf varieties. A student investigated the growth of B. rapa. Seeds of both varieties were planted and th
November 2021, Paper 2, Q16(d) (3 marks): DNA sequencing has allowed scientists to create a strain of Escherichia coli bacteria with an entirely artificial genome. Complete the passage using the most ap
November 2021, Paper 2, Q20(b)(iii) (2 marks): Comparing anatomy between species such as beak size in finches can be used to provide evidence to support the theory of evolution by natural selection. Describe
November 2021, Paper 2, Q20(d) (2 marks): Alfred Russel Wallace is another important figure in the understanding of evolution. Outline the way in which Wallace contributed to the acceptance of Darwin’s
November 2021, Paper 3, Q3(e) (1 mark): Many crop plants are eaten by herbivorous insects. Humans use insecticides to reduce the consumption of crop plants by insects. Explain why an insecticide might
November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q16 (1 mark): The harlequin ladybird, Harmonia axyridis, has many different distinct forms, two of which can be seen below. Which of the terms, A to D, best describes this ty
November 2021, AS Paper 1, Q24(a)(ii) (1 mark): Staphylococcus aureus is the binomial name for a species of bacterium. State one advantage of referring to Staphylococcus aureus in this way. [1]
November 2021, AS Paper 2, Q4(b) (2 marks): The malarial pathogen, Plasmodium, is a protoctist. State two features of organisms that belong to the Kingdom Protoctista. 1 2 [2]
November 2020, Paper 2, Q8 (1 mark): Polar bears, Ursus maritimus, and giant pandas, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, both belong to the family Ursidae. Which of the following, A to D, is not true about the
November 2020, Paper 2, Q21(b)(i) (4 marks): At various times, algae have been classified in different kingdoms. Using the information given above, draw a conclusion about which kingdom is the most appropr
November 2020, Paper 2, Q21(b)(ii) (1 mark): Suggest one piece of evidence not given above that could be used to provide strong support for the classification of algae in a particular kingdom. [1]
November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q6 (1 mark): Antifreeze proteins are a group of globular proteins that prevent ice crystal formation in living cells. These proteins are found in four different kingdoms and
November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q20 (1 mark): There are four different human blood groups: A, B, AB and O. This is because there are three different alleles coding for different proteins in red blood cells.
November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q26(a)(i) (1 mark): Name the genus of the protoctist in the table. [1]
November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q26(a)(ii) (2 marks): Use the information in the table to determine the kingdom and cell wall molecule for S. tuberosum and C. pallens. Write your answers in the table below. species
November 2020, AS Paper 1, Q26(b) (2 marks): Explain how a specific molecule is used to show that two different species have evolved from a recent common ancestor. [2]
June 2019, Paper 2, Q7 (1 mark): The adult wandering albatross, Diomedea exulans, has wingspans that range from 2.5 m to 3.5 m. Which of the following describes the variation in wingspan of the
June 2019, Paper 3, Q2(c)(i) (1 mark): Describe the relationship between body mass and lifespan shown in Fig. 2.3. [1]
June 2019, Paper 3, Q2(c)(ii) (1 mark): What conclusion can you draw from Fig. 2.3 about the lifespan of naked mole rats in comparison to other mammals? [1]
June 2019, Paper 3, Q3(a) (1 mark): Adaptations can be grouped into three general categories. Which category of adaptation is represented by cold-tolerant molecules? [1]
June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q14 (1 mark): Which of the following statements, A to D, could explain the data shown for 1999–2000? A the malarial parasite had developed resistance to insecticides B the ve
June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q16 (1 mark): The two histograms represent the frequency distribution for the two different types of variation. Q R number of number of organisms organisms characteristic cha
June 2019, AS Paper 1, Q17 (1 mark): Some of the taxonomic groups for the beach sunflower, Helianthus debilis, are shown in the table below. Kingdom Plantae Phylum Magnoliophyta W Magnoliopsida Ord
June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): Name the genus of the Scottish wildcat. [1]
June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q3(a)(ii) (2 marks): The information above states that ‘the isolated population of wildcats in the British Isles developed slightly different characteristics from the mainland popul
June 2019, AS Paper 2, Q3(a)(iii) (2 marks): Suggest why the Scottish wildcat and the European wildcat cannot yet be classified as different species. [2]
June 2018, Paper 2, Q7 (1 mark): Which of the following statements about antibiotic resistance is correct? A All antibiotics cause mutations in bacterial DNA. B Antibiotic resistance in bacteri
June 2018, Paper 2, Q20(a)(i) (2 marks): At between 2.5 and 4 years old, the mean length of female cheetahs is less than that of males. Calculate how much shorter than males female cheetahs are. Show y
June 2018, Paper 2, Q20(a)(ii) (2 marks): Using only Fig. 20.1 and your answer to (i), what can be concluded about the significance of the difference between the length of male and female cheetahs aged
June 2018, Paper 2, Q20(a)(iii) (1 mark): A student looked at Fig. 20.1 and wrote: “The longest male cheetah that was measured was 1.52 m long”. Explain whether the information in Fig. 20.1 supports the
June 2018, Paper 2, Q20(a)(iv) (2 marks): State the likely causes of variation in body length in cheetahs. [2]
June 2018, Paper 2, Q20(c)(i) (1 mark): The mongoose is a smaller mammal and also has proportionally longer fur. State one other difference, visible in Fig. 20.2, between a fossa and a mongoose. [1]
June 2018, Paper 2, Q22(c) (1 mark): Bacteria that are able to digest and metabolise the hydrocarbons in crude oil are more common in areas, such as around the coast of Alaska and the Gulf of Mexic
June 2018, Paper 3, Q5(a)(i) (1 mark): Place a tick (3) in the box next to the species most closely related to Pinus glabra. Diplodia pinea Ilex glabra Pinus resinosa Annona glabra [1]
June 2018, Paper 3, Q5(a)(ii) (2 marks): Explain why Pinus glabra and humans, Homo sapiens, are classified in the same domain but in different kingdoms. [2]
June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q21(a) (1 mark): Name the genus of the Titicaca water frog. [1]
June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q25(a) (1 mark): State the pattern of variation shown by leaf hair density. [1]
June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q25(b) (3 marks): Leaf hair density can be measured in the laboratory. Outline a practical method that could be used to determine the density of hairs on the underside of a leaf.
June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q25(c)(i) (2 marks): Complete Table 25 by calculating the difference between the ranks and then squaring the difference. [2] [Answer on Table 25]
June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q25(c)(ii) (2 marks): Use the formula below to calculate Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient for this data. 2 6 d R r 1 = - s 2 n n ( 1 ) - [2]
June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q25(d)(i) (2 marks): Suggest reasons for this positive correlation. [2]
June 2018, AS Paper 1, Q25(e) (2 marks): Another group of students repeated this investigation and calculated rs = 0.589. The critical value of rs at the 5% level for 9 degrees of freedom is 0.600. The
June 2017, Paper 2, Q15 (1 mark): The image below shows a European badger, Meles meles, which is a member of the family Mustelidae. The American badger belongs to a different genus within the sa
June 2017, Paper 2, Q19(a) (2 marks): Humans and chimpanzees are currently classified within the same family. Chimpanzees were once classified separately from humans in the Family Pongidae along wit
June 2017, Paper 2, Q19(b)(i) (2 marks): Calculate the rate of DNA change using the data in Fig. 19.3. Give your answer to three significant figures. Answer % per million years [2]
June 2017, Paper 2, Q19(b)(ii) (2 marks): The mutation rate in mammals can vary by as much as 20% between species. Use Fig. 19.3 to calculate the time since the phylogeny of humans diverged from chimpan
June 2017, Paper 2, Q19(b)(iii) (6 marks): Two species of chimpanzees, the chimpanzee and the bonobo, are the closest living relatives of humans. Fig. 19.1 is a diagram representing the current classific
June 2017, Paper 3, Q3(a)(i) (1 mark): Adaptations can be divided into three types. State the type of adaptation represented by the tiger’s stripes. [1]
June 2017, Paper 3, Q3(a)(ii) (6 marks): Tigers, Panthera tigris, are predatory mammals. They have evolved striped patterns on their fur (as shown in Fig. 3.1a on the insert), which provide camouflage
June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q15 (1 mark): Biologists use both phylogeny and classification to understand how different species are related. Which of the options, A to D, is a statement about phylogeny?
June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q24(a)(i) (1 mark): Name the cell component that appears in organisms of all three domains that Woese suggested. [1]
June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q24(a)(ii) (2 marks): One of the domains he suggested is called Eukarya. Name the other two domains. 1 2 [2]
June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q24(a)(iii) (2 marks): State two defining features of all members of the domain Eukarya. [2]
June 2017, AS Paper 1, Q24(b) (2 marks): Woese carried out a detailed study of RNA molecules in order to draw his conclusions. Suggest two ways in which the scientific community are likely to have vali
June 2016, AS Paper 1, Q10 (1 mark): Which of the following options, A to D, lists the three domains of life? A Archaea, Bacteria and Eukaryota B Bacteria, Prokaryota and Eukaryota C Prokaryotae, P
June 2016, AS Paper 1, Q23(a) (2 marks): Complete the table below, showing the classification of the Sumatran rhinoceros. Kingdom Phylum Chordata Mammalia Perissodactyla Family Rhinocerotidae Dicerorhi
June 2016, AS Paper 1, Q23(b) (1 mark): The name Dicerorhinus sumatrensis is part of the binomial naming system. State an advantage of using this system rather than using the common name, Sumatran rhi
June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q4(a)(i) (1 mark): To which genus does this fungus belong? [1]
June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q6(a)(i) (1 mark): A student made the following suggestion: I think that the colonies on the agar containing penicillin that survived and grew did so because those bacteria evolve
June 2016, AS Paper 2, Q6(a)(ii) (1 mark): Name the process that increases the proportion of penicillin-resistant bacteria in the population. [1]

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