Western Cape Education Department

Directorate: Curriculum FET

LIFE SCIENCES
REVISION BOOKLET
2023
TERM 3

Grade 12

This revision program is designed to assist you in revising the critical

content and skills covered during the 3rd term. The purpose is to prepare
you to understand the key concepts and to provide you with an
opportunity to establish the required standard and the application of the
knowledge necessary to succeed in the NCS examination.

The revision program covers the following topics:

• Evolution – 54 marks in Paper 2 of Final Examination

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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

Table of Contents

Table of Contents 2

1. Evolution 3

1.1. Sources of variation 3

1.2. Theories of evolution 3

1.3. Speciation 4

1.4. Artificial selection 5

1.5. Reproductive isolating mechanisms 5

1.6. Evolution in present times 6

1.7. Human evolution 6

1.8. Out of Africa hypothesis 7

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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

TERM 3 CONTENT

1. EVOLUTION

1.1. Name the sources of variation in a population:

1. Mutations – involves a change in the structure of a genes.

2. Variation as a result of meiosis is due to:

• Crossing over: during prophase I there is an exchange of genetic material

between homologous chromosomes
• Random arrangement of chromosomes – chromosomes arrange randomly at
the equator during metaphase 1 and metaphase 2.

3. Random fertilisation of gametes – random fertilisation of the sperm cells and

ova leading to different combinations of genetic material in the offspring

4. Random mating of individuals in a species leads to variation within the

species.

1.2. Theories of evolution:

You should know the generic account of the evolutionary theories but you
should also be able to apply the generic account on any given example.

Lamarck explained evolution using the following two ‘laws’:

• The inheritance of acquired characteristics: Characteristics developed during

the life of an individual (acquired characteristics) can be passed on to their
offspring.

• The law of use and disuse: As an organism uses a structure or organ more
regularly, it becomes better developed or enlarged. If an organism does not
use a structure or organ frequently, it becomes less developed or reduced in
size and may disappear altogether.
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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

Reasons why Lamarck’s theory was rejected:

• There is no evidence that acquired characteristics are inherited/do not cause

any change to the DNA of an organism's gametes (sperms or ova)
• Organisms did not evolve because they want to evolve/Lamarck’s theory is
deterministic

Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection:

• There is a great deal of variation amongst the offspring.

• Some have favourable characteristics and some do not.
• When there is a change in the environmental conditions or if there is
competition,
• then organisms with characteristics, which make them more suited, survive
• whilst organisms with unfavourable characteristics, which make them less
suited, die.
• The organisms that survive, reproduce and thus pass on the allele for the
favourable characteristic to their offspring.
• The next generation will therefore have a higher proportion of individuals with
the favourable characteristic.

Punctuated equilibrium:

• Evolution involves long periods of time where species do not change or

change gradually through natural selection (known as equilibrium).
• This alternates with (is punctuated by) short periods of time where rapid
changes occur through natural selection
• during which new species may form in a short period of time.

1.3. Speciation:

You should know the generic account of speciation but you should also be
able to apply the generic account on any given example.

• If a POPULATION of a single species

• becomes separated by a geographical barrier (sea, river, mountain, lake)
• then the population splits into two.
• There is now no gene flow between the two populations.
• Since each population may be exposed to different environmental
conditions/the selection pressure may be different
• natural selection occurs independently in each of the two populations
• such that the individuals of the two populations become very different from
each other
• genotypically and phenotypically.
• Even if the two populations were to mix again
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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

• they will not be able to interbreed.

• The two populations are now different species.

NOTE: It is a POPULATION and not a SPECIES that becomes separated by a

geographical barrier. Refer to the definitions of a population and a species.

Explain how speciation and extinction affect biodiversity:

• Speciation increases biodiversity since there is an increase in the number of

species
• Extinction results in the loss of the number of species and therefore results in a
decrease in biodiversity

1.4. Artificial selection:

Humans select organisms with a particular desirable characteristic and

interbreed them with other organisms that also have the same desirable
characteristic to improve this characteristic further in the offspring. They may
also choose organisms with different desirable characteristics to get offspring
with a combination of these desirable characteristics.

Tabulate the differences between natural and artificial selection:

Natural selection Artificial selection
The environment or nature is the Humans represent the selective
selective force force
Selection is in response to suitability to Selection is in response to satisfying
the environment human needs
Occurs within a species May involve one or more species
(as in cross-breeding)

1.5. Reproductive isolating mechanisms:

You should be able to name and describe the following FIVE reproductive
isolation mechanisms that keep species separate.

• Breeding at different times of the year

• Species-specific courtship behaviour
• Plant adaptation to different pollinators
• Infertile offspring
• Prevention of fertilization
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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

1.6. Evolution in present times:

You should be able to use ANY example and describe the role of mutations in
evolution in present times.

• In a population of insects/bacteria/HI viruses/Galápagos finches

• mutations are a source of variation
• which may make some organisms more resistant
• to insecticides/antibiotics/antiretroviral medication.
• Those individuals that are not resistant will die, whereas
• those that are resistant, will survive
• to pass the resistant allele/resistance on to their offspring.
• This is known as natural selection
• As a result, individuals of the future generations will be resistant to the
insecticides/ antibiotics/antiretroviral medication

1.7. Human evolution

Characteristics that humans share with African apes

Tabulate the differences between humans and African apes

Feature Humans African apes
Foramen Foramen magnum in a forward Foramen magnum in a backward
magnum position position
Cranium Larger cranium size Smaller cranium size
Spine More curved/S-shaped Less curved/C-shaped
Teeth Smaller teeth/canines Larger teeth/canines
Jaws Less protruding jaws/non- More protruding jaws/prognathous
prognathous (Note: NOT less prognathous)
Palate shape Small and semi-circular Long and rectangular
Cranial ridges No cranial ridges Cranial ridges across the top of the
cranium
Brow ridges Brow ridges less pronounced Brow ridges pronounced
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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

Study the following table:

1.8. State the Out of Africa hypothesis:

All modern humans/Homo sapiens originated in Africa and migrated to other parts
of the world.

Describe the evidence for the ‘Out of Africa’ hypothesis:

Fossil evidence:
• Fossils of Ardipithecus were found ONLY in Africa/Rift Valley/Ethiopia/South
Africa
• Fossils of Australopithecus were found ONLY in Africa/Rift
Valley/Ethiopia/South Africa
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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

• The fossils of Homo habilis were ONLY found in Africa

• The OLDEST fossils of Homo erectus were found in Africa
• The OLDEST fossils of Homo sapiens were found in Africa

Genetic evidence:

• Mitochondrial DNA is inherited only from the maternal line.

• Analysis of mutations on this mitochondrial DNA shows that the oldest female
ancestor was located in Africa and that all humans descended from her.

REVISION QUESTIONS (EVOLUTION)

• Answer the questions below.

• The instructional verbs (in italics) e.g. name, give, describe, explain etc. and
the mark allocation per question give an indication of what and how much
information you should provide in your answer.

Examples of some of the instructional verbs used in test and

examination questions:

Instructional verb Meaning

Name Give the name of something
Differentiate Use differences to qualify between two
or more categories
Tabulate Draw a table and indicate the answers
as direct pairs.
Describe State in sentences the main points of a
process
Explain Give your answer in a cause-effect or
statement and reason sequence
Compare Give similarities and differences
between concepts

• Please note that HIGHER ORDER questions are in BOLD and marked with a (*)
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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

Topic: Evolution:

1. The diagram below represents two types of shrimp. Each type lives in shallow
seas on opposite sides of a strip of land.
In an investigation to determine whether the two types of shrimp were from
one species, scientists placed type A shrimps and type B shrimps together in a
tank of seawater.
Although the shrimps mated with their own types, the two types of shrimp did
not mate with each other. The scientists repeated the investigation several
times and obtained the same result each time.

(*)1.1 Give ONE conclusion the scientists came to after the investigation. (2)
(*)1.2 Explain your answer to QUESTION 1.1. (2)
(*)1.3 Why did the scientists repeat the investigation? (1)

2. Tabulate FOUR differences between Lamarckism and Darwinism. (9)

3. Flightless bird species that are currently distributed across different continents
are shown in the picture below.
Scientists hypothesise that these species of flightless birds arose from a single
common ancestor that was able to fly.
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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

(*)3.1 Describe how Lamarck would have explained the evolution of flightless
birds. (4)

3.2 Name FIVE reproductive isolation mechanisms that keep species

separate. (5)

4. Read the extract below.

The red-bellied black snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) and the
green tree snake (Denderelaphis punctulatus) are predators that
sometimes feed on cane toads (Bufo marinus) that contain a toxin
that may kill them.
The snakes consume the toads by swallowing them whole. A
decrease in the average jaw size of the snakes has been observed
over a period of 70 years. Some scientists believe that this may be
an example of punctuated equilibrium. With this change it was also
noted that the snakes could no longer swallow the large cane
toads. This has resulted in an increase in the survival of the snakes.

4.1 Define punctuated equilibrium. (3)

4.2 What characteristic of the toad species protects it from predation? (1)

4.3 Explain how the change in jaw size helped the snakes to survive. (3)

(*)4.4 How would Lamarck have explained the development of a small jaw size in
the snakes? (4)

5. The E. coli bacterium lives in the intestines of pigs where they reproduce
rapidly. Certain strains of E. coli cause diarrhoea in young pigs (piglets).
Scientists carried out an investigation using 100 piglets to determine the
resistance of E. coli to two antibiotics, A and B.

The scientists:

• Injected the piglets with antibiotic A and antibiotic B.

• Took a sample of E. coli from the intestines of each piglet a week later and
placed them in separate petri dishes.
• Allowed the bacteria to grow for 24 hours.
• Added antibiotic A to one petri dish and antibiotic B to the other petri dish.
• Measured the growth of the bacteria in each petri dish after 24 hours.
• Used the growth measurement as an indication of the resistance of the
bacteria to each antibiotic.
• Repeated the process over a period of six months.
• Calculated the average percentage resistance to both antibiotics.
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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

The results are shown in the graph below.

(*)5.1 Identify the independent variable in this investigation. (1)

(*)5.2 Identify TWO factors that should be kept constant during the investigation. (2)

(*)5.3 State TWO ways in which the scientists ensured the reliability of the
investigation (2)

5.4 Which antibiotic will you recommend for controlling E. coli in piglets? (1)

5.5 Support your answer to QUESTION 5.4 using evidence in the graph. (2)

(*)5.6 Explain the results that are shown in the graph for antibiotic A in terms of
natural selection. (5)

6. Describe how speciation occurs through geographic isolation (6)

7. The diagram below shows possible evolutionary relationships between

hominids.
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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

7.1 What is this type of diagram called? (1)

7.2 How many genera are shown in the diagram above? (1)

7.3 According to this diagram, which:

(a) Genus is most recently evolved (1)
(b) Genus is the oldest (1)
(c) Hominid share a common ancestor with Australopithecus africanus (1)

7.4 Give ONE example of an Australopithecus africanus fossil found in South

Africa. (1)

7.5 Name TWO Homo species, besides Homo sapiens, that were found in Africa.
(2)

8. In a study to establish the mode of locomotion of some species, scientists

compared the pelvic structure of their fossils. They established that two of
these species had the ability to walk upright permanently. The diagrams (A,
B and C) below show the pelvic structure of three species, drawn to scale.

8.1 What term is used to describe organisms that are able to walk upright
permanently? (1)

(*)8.2 Which TWO diagrams above represent the pelvis of the organisms in
QUESTION 8.1? (2)

(*)8.3 Explain your answer to QUESTION 8.2. (2)

8.4 State ONE feature of the spine of the organism represented by C. (1)

9. Tabulate THREE differences between the skulls of humans and African

apes. (7)
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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

10. The diagram shows the upper jaw, scull and pelvic girdle of a modern human
and an African ape. The diagrams are NOT drawn to scale.

10.1 Which organism has a pelvic girdle for bipedalism? (1)

10.2 Explain your answer in QUESTION 10.1. (2)

10.3 Tabulate THREE visible differences between the upper jaws of

organisms A and B. (7)

(*)10.4 Explain the significance of bipedalism for hominids. (4)

11. Give FOUR characteristics of the upper limbs that humans share with African
apes. (4)

12. The diagram below shows the skulls of three organisms.

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Life Sciences revision booklet 2023 Grade 12 Term 3

12.1 Identify part X and the type of teeth at Y. (2)

(*)12.2 Explain the significance of the location of structure X in organism C. (2)

12.3 Which of the skulls (A, B or C) belongs to:

(a) An australopithecine (1)

(b) A quadripedal primate (1)

12.4 Explain how the change in the skull from B to C could indicate a change in
intelligence. (3)

(*)12.5 Describe the significance of the shape of each of the following as a trend in
human evolution:

(a) Spine (2)

(b) Shape of the pelvis (2)

(*)12.6 Describe the significance of Homo erectus to the ‘Out of Africa’

hypothesis. (2)

END OF DOCUMENT