A population of plants contains individuals with different inherited amounts of leaf wax. During a period of drought, scientists recorded the following results.
| Leaf wax | Plants surviving (%) | Mean number of seeds per surviving plant |
|---|---|---|
| Thinner | 25 | 7 |
| Thicker | 60 | 18 |
Explain how these results could lead to a change in the inherited characteristics of the plant population over many generations.
A student says that the drought caused the plants to develop the inherited variation in leaf wax that helped them survive. Explain why this statement is incorrect.
85 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Biology 4.1 Evolution and natural selection, covering 4.1.1 Work of Darwin and Wallace and 4.1.2 Resistant organisms and evolution. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.