NCEA Level 2 Biology (91157) 2017 — page 1 of 5

Assessment Schedule – 2017

Biology: Demonstrate understanding of genetic variation and change (91157)
Evidence Statement

Q1 Expected coverage Achievement Merit Excellence

ONE F1 genotype: BbFf • Genotype.

(a) F1 phenotype : Bar wing and feather legs • Phenotype of F1
correct.

(b) BF Bf bF bf • Punnett square

BF BBFF BBFf BbFF BbFf gametes correct
Bf BBFf BBff BbFf Bbff and offspring
bF BbFF BbFf bbFF bbFf genotypes
bf BbFf Bbff bbFf bbff correct.

(c) 9 bar wings + feather legs • Phenotype ratios

3 bar wings + not feather legs correct.
3 barless wings + feather legs
1 barless wings + not feather legs

(d) Linked genes are found on the same • Linked genes • Linked genes Discussion
chromosome and are inherited together. defined as on described as on comprehensively
Since they don’t independently assort, the the same the same contrasts the effect of
gametes produced show less genetic chromosome. chromosome linked and unlinked
variation than unlinked genes. • Independent AND inherited genes on both gametes
Independent assortment is when assortment together OR not and offspring which
homologous chromosomes line up in a described with independently could include:
random manner along the equator of the cell specific assorted. • For LINKED genes –
during meiosis. reference to • Explains that lack of genetic
Unlinked genes can independently assort, homologous unlinked genes variation in gametes is
therefore produce more genetic variation in chromosomes. independently linked to no
the gametes. From the Punnett square, it can • Linked genes assort. independent assortment
be seen that unlinked genes can produce 4 described as • Explains that AND for UNLINKED
different types of gametes. producing less linked genes genes – more genetic
genetic variation have higher variation in gametes is
Since there is less genetic variation in the
in offspring / percentage of linked to independent
gametes for linked genes, they produce less
gametes (only phenotypes like assortment.
genetic variation in the offspring than
unlinked genes. give one parents / bar + • For LINKED Genes –
Achievement feathered than lack of genetic
From the Punnett square, it can be seen that
credit if they unlinked genes. diversity in offspring is
unlinked genes produce 9 / many different
mention both • Explains that clearly associated with
genetic combinations of the wing and leg
without links). unlinked genes lack of genetic
alleles in the offspring.
• Linked genes can result in diversity of the
We can tell that the genes are unlinked since gametes / linked genes
produce fewer offspring not
the heterozygous cross of the F1 produced 4 being inherited
phenotypes in like their
different phenotypes instead of just 2. The together.
offspring than parents /
unlinked genes could produce the phenotype
unlinked genes. different • Uses phenotype ratios
of barless + feathered or bar + not feathered
combination of of One (c) and those
offspring / more offspring phenotypes that
alleles to their given to discuss that
are NOT like the parents. Linked genes
parents / bar linked genes have a
produce a higher percentage of phenotypes
wings + not more limited range of
like the parents / bar + feathered than
feather legs, phenotypes possible
unlinked genes.
barless wings + than unlinked genes.
feather legs.
 NCEA Level 2 Biology (91157) 2017 — page 2 of 5

NØ N1 N2 A3 A4 M5 M6 E7 E8

No response; Provides ONE Provides TWO Provides Provides Provides Provides Clearly Provides
no relevant correct correct THREE correct FOUR correct TWO THREE linked TWO bullet
evidence. statement from statements statements statements correct correct discussion points from
Achievement. from from from statements statements that provides Excellence.
Achievement. Achievement. Achievement. from Merit. from Merit. ONE bullet
point from
Excellence.
 NCEA Level 2 Biology (91157) 2017 — page 3 of 5

Q2 Evidence Achievement Merit Excellence

TWO Gene pool is the total alleles available to a • Gene pool is • Explains that • Compares the genetic
(breeding) population. described. founder population diversity of 1800s
The founder effect describes the gene • Founder effect is alleles are non South Island
pool of a population that was established described. representative of the saddleback
from a (subset) of a larger population. parent population populations using
• Bottleneck effect is
resulting in less explicit numbers /
The allele frequency of the founder described.
genetic variation. references from the
population may not be representative / • States that current
• Explains that in the graph and links the
reflect the allele frequency of the original saddleback
bottleneck effect lower genetic
population. Therefore, there could be less population will have
alleles are diversity of Big South
genetic diversity in founder effect low genetic diversity.
permanently lost / Cape Island
populations.
• Identifies the1800s fixed. population to the
In the case of the South Island saddleback, Big South Cape founding
the Big South Cape Island population’s low • Explains that
Island population as saddlebacks not
genetic diversity in the 1800s was most historic Big South
founder effect. carrying all the
likely caused by the founder effect, since Cape Island
• Identifies the possible alleles
there were other populations on the population is an
Kaimohu Island available to South
mainland still in existence at the time. It is example of founder
population as a Island mainland
likely this population was established by a effect because other
bottleneck / founder population.
few from the mainland, who did not carry saddleback
effect. populations exist. • Uses specific
all the alleles available to the population.
• Identifies that references to the
Therefore, its relative genetic diversity is • Explains that
Inbreeding / graph to discuss that
only just over 20%, which is low compared current saddleback
reproduction among the current genetic
to the South Island population. population is an
close relatives / diversity of the South
The bottleneck effect is where a species is example of
breeding between Island saddleback has
reduced to a few individuals and then bottleneck / founder
small number of lower diversity than
recovers with low genetic diversity. effect.
individuals occurs 1800s mainland
(Populations may be suddenly reduced population due to
in either Big South
due to catastrophic events / any example bottleneck.
Cape Island 1800s or
given – to very small numbers.)
Kaimohu Island can • Links to Genetic
Many alleles will be lost or fixed forever. lead to low genetic drift or infers
The current gene pool of the South Island diversity (must Genetic Drift and
saddleback will have very low genetic mention at least one states that the current
diversity due to the bottleneck effect, since location). South Island
the species was entirely wiped out except saddleback
for those on Big South Cape Island. population will have
In the case of the South Island Saddleback, unusually low (20%)
since the current population arose from a genetic diversity
population on Big South Cape Island that since it was produced
already had low genetic diversity due to the from a population
founder effect, its current genetic diversity that already had low
would be extremely low. From the graph, it genetic diversity.
can be seen that the current population has
a much lower genetic diversity (less than
20%) than the 1800s mainland population
(about 95%) and slightly less than the
1800s Big South Cape Island (just over
20%). Additional alleles would have been
lost through genetic drift as the current
population re-establishes itself, further
reducing genetic diversity.

NØ N1 N2 A3 A4 M5 M6 E7 E8

No response; ONE TWO THREE FOUR TWO correct THREE ONE TWO
no relevant Achievement Achievement Achievement Achievement Merit correct Merit Excellence Excellence
evidence. statement. statements. statements. statements. statements. statements. bullet point. bullet points.
 NCEA Level 2 Biology (91157) 2017 — page 4 of 5

Q3 Evidence Achievement Merit Excellence

THREE Natural selection is the process where • Describes natural • Explains that • Discussion links
individuals that are best adapted to the selection. those with lower frequency of
environment survive and reproduce, • Describes mutated allele in mutated allele in
therefore passing favourable / desirable / migration. populations A and population C than B
good alleles onto offspring / into gene B had a survival due to less time for
• Describes a
pool. advantage due to it to become
mutation.
Migration is the movement of better nutrition / established after
• Identifies that the milk (food) and migration and
individuals into / out of a population.
mutation must be therefore a higher interbreeding / gene
Mutation is the (permanent) change in in the gametes / or reproductive flow introduced it.
the gene sequence / nucleotide / gene / is a gametic success / more • Discusses that
DNA. mutation for the offspring. Population C has a
The mutated allele became established allele to enter /
• Explains that higher frequency
in gene pools A and B because those establish /
those with than D because
with the allele had access to an extra increase in
mutated allele in migration is more
food source. Individuals who possessed frequency in the
populations A and possible between B
the mutation could use milk as a food gene pool.
B had a survival and C due to
source. Therefore, they survived and • Identifies advantage and shorter distances
produced more offspring that also had mutation to digest then passed the therefore more
this allele and higher survival due to milk / lactose. allele to offspring chances of gene
better nutrition. Over time, those without
• Identifies thus increasing flow.
the mutated allele reproduced less
migration less frequency of the • Discusses that after
successfully and the mutation / new
likely between A / mutated allele in mutated allele
allele / mutated allele increased in
B / C and D. the population. introduced through
frequency until the entire population
possessed it. • Identifies • Explains that A migration, natural
migration more and B have the selection could be
The reason the mutated allele has a
likely between B highest working to increase
higher frequency in population B is
and C. frequency of frequency in
because that is where it originated, and
mutated allele population C if C
due to natural selection, it increased in
because that is also uses milk as a
frequency. The mutated allele could
where it food source
have passed to population C through
originated • Discussion links
migration. C has a lower frequency of
(arose) / the lowest frequency of
the mutated allele because the mutation
survival mutated allele in
didn’t arise here and has had less time to
advantage it population D due to
become established. Individuals from
offered. large distances
population B could have moved to
population C and through interbreeding • Explains that making migration
passed the mutated allele to that migration less likely thus
population. If population C also had increases reducing gene
cattle and access to milk, the mutated frequency of flow.
allele would give them a survival / mutated allele • Discussion links
reproductive advantage, and it would through fact that milk not
begin to become more frequent. interbreeding / used as a food
gene flow. source in population
There are low frequencies of mutated
allele in population D because D / D so there is no
Australia is a long way from population survival advantage /
B, and passing the allele on through selection pressure
migration is less likely. In addition, if for natural selection
population D did not use cattle and milk to work to increase
as a food source, there would be no the mutated allele
advantage to having this allele, so any frequency.
mutations that arose would not increase
due to natural selection.
Note: accept use of “gene” if “allele”
has been used most of the time and the
candidate shows clear understanding of
the difference.
 NCEA Level 2 Biology (91157) 2017 — page 5 of 5

NØ N1 N2 A3 A4 M5 M6 E7 E8

No response; Provides ONE Provides TWO Provides any Provides any Provides any Provides any Provides Provides
no relevant correct correct THREE FOUR TWO THREE ONE Bullet TWO Bullet
evidence. statement from statements statements statements statements statements Point from Points from
Achievement. from from from from Merit from Merit Excellence. Excellence;
Achievement. Achievement. Achieved column. column.
column.

Cut Scores
Not Achieved Achievement Achievement with Merit Achievement with Excellence

0–6 7 – 12 13 – 18 19 – 24