AQA · Biology · 8461
GCSE Biology: Extinction
Inheritance, variation and evolution · AQA GCSE Biology (8461), specification point 4.6.3.6. Cards are generated from the exam board's own specification for "Extinction", and every card links back to the page it came from. Specification © AQA — used with attribution.
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When is a species said to be extinct?
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When there are no remaining individuals of that species still alive.
How can a new predator contribute to the extinction of a species?
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The prey species has no adaptations against it, so individuals are killed faster than they can reproduce.
How can a new disease contribute to the extinction of a species?
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A pathogen the species has no resistance to can kill individuals faster than the population can recover.
How can changes to the environment contribute to a species' extinction?
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If the environment changes faster than the species can adapt (e.g. climate change or habitat loss), individuals cannot survive to reproduce.
How can competition from a new species lead to extinction?
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A more successful competitor takes the food, habitat or other resources the species needs, so it cannot survive and breed.
Give an example of a catastrophic event that can cause extinction.
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A single event such as a volcanic eruption or asteroid impact that wipes out the whole population.
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