Species and scientific names — questions

1. identify

Which statement describes a species?

Circle one answer.

• Organisms that look the same
• Organisms that live in the same place
• A group of organisms that can reproduce to produce fertile offspring
• Any organisms that can mate

Nudge (only if you are stuck): Think of the horse, the donkey and the mule.

2. identify

The scientific name of the lion is Panthera leo. Match each part of the name to what it shows.

Write the number of the matching option.

1. The genus: a group of closely similar species
2. The species within the genus
3. The country where it lives
4. The person who first described it

• Panthera: ______
• leo: ______

Nudge (only if you are stuck): The first word is shared with the tiger.

3. identify

Which of these uses capital and small letters correctly in the scientific name of humans? (Italics are not shown here.)

Circle one answer.

• homo sapiens
• Homo sapiens
• Homo Sapiens
• homo Sapiens

Nudge (only if you are stuck): One part starts with a capital letter and one with a small letter.

4. identify

Biologists classify the sycamore and the field maple in the same group. What is this based on?

Circle one answer.

• They both grow in parks in Britain
• The features they share, such as leaf shape and paired winged fruits
• They are the same height
• Their common names sound alike

Nudge (only if you are stuck): Look at what the two trees have in common in the reading.

5. explain

A horse and a donkey can mate and produce a mule. Mules are infertile. (a) Are horses and donkeys the same species? (b) Explain your answer using the meaning of a species.

(a) Same species?

(b) Explanation

Nudge (only if you are stuck): Can the mule have young of its own?

6. identify

The scientific names of three big cats are Panthera leo (lion), Panthera tigris (tiger) and Acinonyx jubatus (cheetah). Which two are in the same genus?

Circle one answer.

• The lion and the tiger
• The lion and the cheetah
• The tiger and the cheetah
• All three

Nudge (only if you are stuck): The genus is the first word.

7. explain

Explain why scientists all over the world use binomial names instead of common names.

Nudge (only if you are stuck): What happened to the name "sycamore" in the reading?

8. identify

Which statements about the name Acer campestre are correct? Choose all that apply.

Tick every correct statement.

• Acer is the genus
• campestre on its own names the species
• It is in the same genus as Acer pseudoplatanus
• Both words should start with a capital letter
• The name is the same in every country

Nudge (only if you are stuck): Think about which part shows the genus, and what campestre means on its own.

9. calculate

Supplement. The table shows short, made-up DNA base sequences for three species, W, X and Y. Compare each pair base by base and count the places where the bases are different.

Differences between W and X: ______________ unit ________

Differences between W and Y: ______________ unit ________

Differences between X and Y: ______________ unit ________

Nudge (only if you are stuck): Line the strips up and compare the 1st base of each, then the 2nd, and so on.

10. deduce / explain

The lion is Panthera leo, the leopard is Panthera pardus and the tiger is Panthera tigris. (a) What do their names tell you about how they are classified? (b) Supplement: the table shows the number of differences between short, made-up pieces of their DNA. Which two share the most recent common ancestor? Explain.

(a) What the names show

(b) Most recent common ancestor, and why

Nudge (only if you are stuck): (a) Look at the first word of each name. (b) Fewer differences means less time to change.

11. deduce / predict

A gardener finds a small tree labelled Acer palmatum. (a) Is it more closely related to the field maple, Acer campestre, or to the English oak, Quercus robur? Explain using the names. (b) Supplement: predict what a comparison of the DNA base sequences of the three trees would show.

(a) Closer relative, and why

(b) Prediction about DNA

Nudge (only if you are stuck): (a) Which tree shares the first word of the name? (b) Classification aims to reflect evolutionary relationships.

12. explain

A Chihuahua is a tiny dog and a Great Dane is a very large one. They look so different that a visitor from another planet might think they are two species. Puppies with a Chihuahua and a Great Dane among their ancestors grow up and have puppies of their own. (a) Are Chihuahuas and Great Danes the same species? (b) Explain, and say why the answer is different for horses and donkeys.

(a) Same species?

(b) Explanation, and the horse and donkey

Nudge (only if you are stuck): What happens when the mixed puppies grow up? What happens when mules grow up?