Clarification details
Updated February 2014. This clarification has been updated to address issues that have arisen from moderation.
The intent
The intent is for the student to demonstrate understanding of adaptations of plants or animals to their way of life, to enable each species to carry out its life process(es) in order to survive in its habitat.
Demonstrating understanding
Demonstrating understanding in either all plant or all animal species to show understanding of adaptation to their way of life can be shown in one of two main ways (see Explanatory Note 2):
Option 1 - related to one life process over three taxonomic or functional groups of multi-cellular plants or animals, by:
- selecting the groups of plants or animals to focus on comparing diversity of adaptation, in response to the same demand, across the three different taxonomic or functional groups. For example, for support and locomotion in animals this could include ungulates (e.g. horses), primates (e.g. chimps and apes) and felines (e.g. great cats like lions, tigers and leopards)
- selecting evidence from at least one organism representative of each group and their way of life, to enable each to survive in its habitat.
Option 2 - across two related life processes within one taxonomic or functional group of multi-cellular plants or animals, by:
- selecting the group to focus on the connections between two life processes within each organism which enhance the effectiveness of both processes. For example, with herbivores as the functional group - nutrition and internal transport in insects (e.g. locusts) and ruminants (e.g. sheep, goats, deer or cattle)
- selecting evidence from at least two organisms representative of the group, to enable each organism to survive in its habitat and their way of life (required for this option).
Taxonomic or functional
Taxonomic or functional groups must be specified in the task. Choice of organisms can be guided by their habitat and ecological niche, rather than on a narrow taxonomic grouping alone. For example, if the taxonomic group was broadened to vertebrates, and the two related life processes were circulation and gas exchange (i.e. the second option), a fish and a bird or mammal could be chosen.
Adaptation involves
Adaptation involves the range of ways in which organisms have developed strategies to carry out their life processes (see Explanatory Note 4).
Way of life
Way of life encompasses aspects of the ways in which an organism carries out all its interrelated life processes (see Explanatory Note 5).