Two isolated populations of a rare heathland cricket live on opposite sides of an area of bare ground. Scientists tested individuals from each population at the same DNA regions.
| Population sampled | Number of different alleles detected |
|---|---|
| eastern population | 18 |
| western population | 16 |
| both populations together | 27 |
A fungal disease is spreading towards the heathland. Resistance to the disease is inherited.
Scientists recommend creating a strip of suitable habitat across the bare ground. This would allow crickets from the two populations to interbreed.
Explain how creating the strip of suitable habitat could reduce the risk that the cricket species becomes extinct.
122 exam-style questions on OCR GCSE Biology 5.2 Natural selection and evolution, covering 5.2.1 Genetic variation within a population, 5.2.2 Developments in classification systems, 5.2.3 How evolution occurs through natural selection, 5.2.4 Evolution as change over time, 5.2.5 Evidence for evolution, and 5.2.6 Darwin and Wallace. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.