NCEA Level 3 Biology (91606) 2014 Assessment Schedule

NCEA Level 3 Biology (91606) 2014 — page 1 of 5

Assessment Schedule – 2014 Biology: Demonstrate understanding of trends in human evolution (91606) Evidence Statement

Q1 Evidence Achievement Merit Excellence

The changes to skull structure would have been a reduction Describes changes to skull structure Explains how weakened jaw Relates the implications of weakened in jaw / zygomatic arch size, loss of sagittal crest / reduction including, for example: muscles led to specific changes in jaw muscles to brain enlargement in brow ridge, prognathism, and tooth size etc • reduction in jaw size / mandible skull structure, for example: including, for example: The weakened muscles would no longer have required a • loss of sagittal crest • Zygomatic arch is no longer as • Weakened jaw muscles are related to sagittal crest / large jaw for larger muscle attachment and prominent / big because less 2 changes in skull structure brow ridges to compensate for larger forces from larger jaw • reduction in zygomatic arch / space required for smaller jaw explained, which in turn enabled muscles. This means that the weakened muscles led to cheek bone less prominent muscle to pass under OR attach bigger cranial vault which created changes in skull structure, allowing cranium to become • reduction / loss of brow ridges to. space for brain expansion as more dome shaped and forehead flatter. • reduction in prognathism / muzzle • Sagittal crest no longer required attachment of larger muscles no Both of these would have enabled brain expansion, as flattening of face for attachment of stronger jaw longer selected for. would have dietary changes in response to having weaker • reduction in tooth size. muscles, (so cranium could • A change in diet (to foods that are muscles and seeking nutrients from other sources that were become more dome-shaped). easier to chew / softer eg meat) softer and required less chewing. • increased cranial vault / skull / Brow ridges reduced so forehead provided more energy / protein / cranium • Possible scavenging of high protein and fat sources from flattened due to no longer having nutrients which led to a change in animal kills further led to selection for brain expansion as it • change from U to V dental arch to support large forces created by brain size. provided a survival advantage. Selection for brain • development / appearance of chin. power of stronger jaw muscles. • Adaptive advantage of brain expansion likely due to ability to, for example, predict • Increased cranial vault because expansion eg increased cognitive where predators would leave kill so as to source food. ability / communication / planning / Positive feedback would have therefore further reinforced no need for large jaw muscles to attach to the Sagittal crest. predicting – could be a positive the selection for brain enlargement as a result of the feedback loop. mutation for weaker jaw muscles. • Reduced jaw muscle allows cranial vault to increase which then creates space for bigger brain. • Reduced jaw muscle means chin develops to assist chewing / is compensating for lack of chewing strength in jaw muscle. etc

Not Achieved Achievement Merit Excellence NCEA Level 3 Biology (91606) 2014 — page 2 of 5

NØ = no response or no N1 = 1 or 2 points N2 = 3or 4 points A3 = 5 points A4 = 6 points M5 = 2 points M6 = 3 points E7 = 1st bullet point E8 = 1st bullet point relevant evidence AND either BP 2 or 3

The tool culture associated with Homo habilis is Identifies and describes the tool Explains how Oldowan tools sourced, Analyses how evidence contributes to Oldowan, where they were pebble tools with flat culture as Oldowan – pebble produced and / or used, ie: understanding of behaviour of Homo habilis at faces at one end, and included the use of the tools with flat faces at one end • Made by striking pebble / rock at Olduvai. Must include selective advantage. flakes from their manufacture. The tools may and the flakes that result from one face / edge / end with another • Homo habilis would have travelled to source have been sourced from nearby streams and this. (harder) rock to produce core or materials to produce tools for survival suggesting manufactured by striking with another harder rock • Oldowan tool culture. flake that there was some foresight or planning which sourced from the hills. They could have been used provided a selective advantage. to cut and crush food sources. This implies that • Pebble / stone / rock tools. • Sourced from suitable rock in their behaviour may have included the passing on • Tools with flat faces at one streams / rivers AND hills (may • Homo habilis recognized that the manufacture of of knowledge and skills to source, make and use end / flakes removed from have been source of harder rock tools was beneficial so it was taught to others the tools to others in group for survival. These one side. used to manufacture pebbles into which gave a selective advantage tools). tools would have allowed them to process food • Flakes. • Homo habilis may have had division of labour sources from scavenging, enabling access to more • TWO uses explained with specialised roles related to their tool culture. nutrients for group survival, eg bone marrow. Eg This division of labour gave a selective This would have provided an adaptive advantage advantage. used to cut meat / reeds through the passing on of knowledge to enhance • Eg Processing of food done at one location and survival, crush bones / nuts / tough plant material other activities, eg sourcing of materials for tools, eg the location of harder rock to better produce in other places, suggests specialised use of both tools as this would have allowed the processing of work other materials, eg: wood into the wider local environment and resources within different food sources that may have been shape. it. Selective advantage given. previously unavailable, skinning / scraping • Tools used to process food, eg crush bones to eg extraction of bone marrow. digging up edible bulbs / roots / extract marrow, cut flesh off bones of scavenged Eg use of tools would have allowed more time to tubers animals (not to hunt) and this would have reproduce, leading to greater reproductive success missiles. provided more nutrients / food. Selective and passing on genes and successful phenotypes. advantage given. • Processing food with tools associated with foresight / planning and selective advantage given. Example of selective advantage:, using tools would have allowed more time to reproduce, leading to improved reproductive success and passing genes / successful phenotypes on.

Not Achieved Achievement Merit Excellence NCEA Level 3 Biology (91606) 2014 — page 3 of 5

NØ = no response N1 = 1 point N2 = 2 points A3 = 3 points A4 = 4 M5 = 1st bullet point M6 = 1st bullet E7 = 1 point E8 = 3 points or no relevant points point and 1 other evidence NCEA Level 3 Biology (91606) 2014 — page 4 of 5

The likely dispersal of modern humans from Describes likely pattern of Explains reasons populations both similar Evaluates implications, of evidence, to Africa would have been through the Middle dispersal of modern humans and / or different, for example: dispersal AND relative lack of genetic East to Europe / Asia. They may have from Africa as being, for • Different groups / populations (dispersed to) variation, for example: interacted with other pre-existing hominin example: in different areas / habitats therefore came • Neanderthals are more closely related to populations as they dispersed further, ie • North (from Africa) through under different selection pressures so non African populations because Neanderthal and Denisova. to Middle East, and East- evolved differently. interbreeding occurred with modern The hominin populations would have been West distribution in Europe / humans as modern humans dispersed from similar as they shared a common ancestor / • Example given of different selection Asia, and then likely North- pressure acting on named hominin Africa to Europe (share 2.5% of DNA with DNA link, and different as they subsequently South distribution followed. Neanderthals (or ancient DNA)). evolved in different areas / came under population: different selection pressures. Denisovans and OR Eg Neanderthals were more cold adapted • There are similarities between Denisovans Neanderthal more similar as shared more recent Later dispersal to rest of during ice age. and Melanesian populations because before common ancestor / DNA link, whereas modern globe eg Asia / Melanesia (at Eg Denisovans were more likely adapted to modern humans dispersed into Melanesia / humans a less recent one. least one place named). more extremes in climate conditions due to Oceania they interbred with Denisovans. During the dispersal the sharing of some DNA • coastal route taking into North-South distribution. OR account geographical / ocean indicates the possibility of interbreeding Eg Floresensis on island with limited Denisovans and Melanesians share a barriers / land bridges between populations (or alternatively this was resources selecting for small size. common ancestor. from ancient DNA source / ancestor). The lack • Describes that evidence • The dispersal of hominins to different • Before dispersal a common ancestor of genetic variation in modern humans is due to shows dispersal from Africa niches prevented gene flow and therefore originated in Africa so all modern humans relatively recent dispersal from Africa and first / describes Out of evolved into separate populations. have genetic similarities. likely more than one dispersal event, as well as Africa / Replacement / Eve possibility of interbreeding with other hominin hypothesis • Two / three named species have diverged • Outcome is that waves of dispersal and from a common ancestor so that they have possible interbreeding with existing populations on the way. The DNA similarities • Describes that there would genetic similarities. populations likely to have resulted in were selected for, to continue to survive in have been more than one relative lack of genetic variation we see in modern human populations. hominin group in different • Denisovans are more genetically similar to modern human populations. areas at same time. Neanderthals than modern humans as they shared a more recent common ancestor (or Describes that there would • opposite). May state other hypothesis that links both have been more than one • Denisovans and Neanderthals similar Out of Africa and Multiregional and could be named hominin group in the supported; for example, a “hybridisation” same area at the same time. possibly due to interbreeding resulting in sharing of genetic information. hypothesis. • Denisovans and Melanesians are genetically similar due to interbreeding. • Interbreeding between Non Africans and Neanderthal means that there are genetic similarities.

Not Achieved Achievement Merit Excellence

NØ = no response or no N1 = 1 point N2 = 2 points A3 = 3 points A4 = 4 points M5 = 2 points M6 = 3 points E7 = 1 point E8 = 2 points relevant evidence NCEA Level 3 Biology (91606) 2014 — page 5 of 5

Cut Scores

Not Achieved Achievement Achievement with Merit Achievement with Excellence

Score range 0 – 6 7 – 12 13 – 18 19 – 24