"Variation is useful for the survival of species over time." Explain this statement with the help of an example.
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:51 · grounding rag
Model Answer
Variation means subtle differences among individuals of a species. When the environment changes drastically, most individuals may die, but variants better suited to the new conditions survive and reproduce.
Example: A population of bacteria lives in temperate water. Due to global warming, water temperature rises. Most bacteria die, but heat-resistant variants survive and multiply, ensuring the species continues.
Thus, variation is useful for survival of a species over time.
Source: Chapter 7, Section 7.1.1 – The Importance of Variation
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Explanation
- Examiners expect: a definition/explanation of variation + a clear example — the bacteria/heat example from the textbook is ideal and safest to use.
- The key idea is that variation helps the species (not every individual) survive when the environment changes.
- Avoid writing a long essay; two crisp points + one example is sufficient for 2 marks.
- Always name the organism, the environmental change, and the outcome in your example.