Environmental Influences on Genetic Variation and Evolutionary Change

This examination focuses on identifying environmental factors that affect genetic variation and contribute to evolutionary change in animal populations. Candidates should be prepared to discuss specific mechanisms of environmental influence.

Understanding these environmental impacts is vital for evolutionary biology, as they inform how species adapt or fail to adapt in response to changing ecosystems—a consideration that is increasingly relevant due to climate change.

Candidates will need to verbally articulate the interactions between environmental variables, genetic variation, and evolutionary responses, including the implications of these interactions for biodiversity conservation.

Practical examples illustrating the relationship between environmental factors and evolutionary change are encouraged to support candidate points during the assessment.