Identification, Variation, and adaptation

VARIATION WITHIN A SPECIES 

- If you come across a species but you don't know what it is a key will help to identify it.

- The descriptions in a key come as opposite statements

- Choosing one statement that fits the species will lead you to the next

- Members of the same species have different characteristics. For example humans vary in their hair colour and blood groups, this is called variation.

- Variation can either be continuous or discontinuous:

• In continuous variation, characteristics are spread over a range of values, for example height in humans,  their are a range of intemediates (inbetweens) in the values 
• In discontinuous there are no intermediates, but rather distinct groups for example people who can and can not roll their toungue. 

EXAM TIP: IF SHOWN GRAPHS OF VARIATION DATA AND ASKED TO IDENTIFY WHICH TYPE IS BEING SHOWN…