Every commercial breed of sheep is classified within the species Ovis aries.
Merino is a sheep breed kept chiefly for its wool. This wool is extremely dense and is made up of many very fine hairs.
Fig. 1.1 shows a female Merino sheep together with her newborn lamb.
(a)[2]
Define what is meant by the term species.
(b)[2]
The presence of hair is a characteristic found only in mammals. State two other features that separate mammals from all other vertebrates.
(c)[5]
Describe the procedure breeders would follow to produce sheep whose wool has very fine hairs.
(d)[3]
Explain the ways in which natural selection is different from selective breeding.
Worked solution & mark scheme
This 12-mark question has a full step-by-step worked solution and mark scheme. One marking point: “(group of) organisms able to reproduce” …