AQA · GCSE · Biology
Course version: 8461 · Version from Sept 2018
Students should be able to: • describe the work of Darwin and Wallace in…
Full specification wording
Speciation (biology only): Students should be able to: • describe the work of Darwin and Wallace in the development of the theory of evolution by natural selection • explain the impact of these ideas on biology.
Darwin and Wallace both gathered evidence that living things change over time.
Checked against the AQA 8461 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 7
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Darwin and Wallace both gathered evidence that living things change over time. Darwin studied fossils, Galapagos finches and artificial selection by breeders. Wallace studied wildlife in South America and South-East Asia and independently reached the same mechanism. Both proposed that individuals with inherited variations better suited to their environment are more likely to survive, reproduce and pass on those alleles, so the population changes over generations. Their work gave biology a unifying explanation for adaptation, biodiversity and the fossil record. It also prompted questions about the age of the Earth and the place of humans in nature, shaping modern genetics, ecology and medicine.
What earns the marks
- Describe Darwin's evidence from fossils, island species and artificial selection by breeders.
- Describe Wallace's independent work on variation and survival in different geographical regions.
- Explain natural selection as survival and reproduction of individuals with advantageous inherited variations.
- Explain that the ideas changed biology by providing a mechanism for evolution and a unifying explanation for adaptation and biodiversity.
- Recognise that the work was published jointly and that it challenged accepted religious and scientific views of the time.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Saying Darwin and Wallace invented evolution.
Put it right by stating they proposed natural selection as the mechanism, while earlier thinkers had already suggested that species change.
Describing natural selection as organisms choosing to adapt.
Put it right by explaining that variation already exists and the environment selects which individuals survive and reproduce.
Treating Darwin and Wallace as rivals who worked separately.
Put it right by noting they communicated and published joint writings in 1858.
Exam tips
- Name both scientists and give at least one distinct piece of evidence each used.
- Use the phrase 'inherited variation' and link it to survival, reproduction and passing on alleles.
- When explaining impact, refer to biology as a whole, such as providing a mechanism for evolution or explaining biodiversity.
Try the lesson
The start of the Speciation (biology only): Students should be able to: • describe the work of Darwin and Wallace in the development of the theory of evolution by natural selection • explain the impact of these ideas on biology. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which scientist independently developed a theory of evolution by natural selection at about the same time as Darwin?
Listen
Darwin and Wallace both gathered evidence that living things change over time. Darwin studied fossils, Galapagos finches and artificial selection by breeders. Wallace studied wildlife in South America and South-East Asia and independently reached the same mechanism. Both proposed that individuals with inherited variations better suited to their environment are more likely to survive, reproduce and pass on those alleles, so the population changes over generations. Their work gave biology a unifying explanation for adaptation, biodiversity and the fossil record. It also prompted questions about the age of the Earth and the place of humans in nature, shaping modern genetics, ecology and medicine. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Describe Darwin's evidence from fossils, island species and artificial selection by breeders. Describe Wallace's independent work on variation and survival in different geographical regions. Explain natural selection as survival and reproduction of individuals with advantageous inherited variations. Explain that the ideas changed biology by providing a mechanism for evolution and a unifying explanation for adaptation and biodiversity. A common slip: Saying Darwin and Wallace invented evolution. Instead, stating they proposed natural selection as the mechanism, while earlier thinkers had already suggested that species change. Exam tip: Name both scientists and give at least one distinct piece of evidence each used.
Key words
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Natural selection
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Evidence for evolution
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Independent discovery and collaboration
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Impact on biological thought
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See every definition
- Natural selection
- Individuals with inherited variations better suited to their environment are more likely to survive, reproduce and pass on those alleles, so the population changes over generations.
- Evidence for evolution
- Darwin studied fossils, Galapagos finches and artificial selection by breeders, while Wallace studied wildlife in South America and South-East Asia.
- Independent discovery and collaboration
- Wallace independently reached the same mechanism as Darwin, and the work was published jointly in 1858.
- Impact on biological thought
- The ideas gave biology a unifying explanation for adaptation, biodiversity and the fossil record, and prompted questions about the age of the Earth and the place of humans in nature.
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