Quantitative investigations of variation

Question 1

What is an interspecific variation?

Answer 1

When one species differ from another.

Question 2

What is intraspecific variation?

Answer 2

When members of the same species differ from each other.

Question 3

What is a hybrid?

Answer 3

When different species interbreed to produce hybrid offspring. Parent organisms are still considered to be separate species because their offspring is infertile.

Question 4

What are the measurements in sampling, not representative?

Answer 4

• Sampling bias - The selection process might be biased when the investigator chooses.
• Chance - The individual chosen may be pure chance. e.g. the 50 buttercups chosen might by chance be the tallest ones.

Question 5

How is random sampling carried out?

Answer 5

1) Divide the study area into a grid of numbered lines.
2) Using random numbers to give coordinates.
3) Take samples at the intersection of each pair of coordinates.

Question 6

How can we minimise the effect of chance from sampling processes?

Answer 6

• Using a large sample size - so the probability of individuals selected by chance is smaller so fewer influence anomalies will have.
• Analysis of the data collected - Collected data can be analysed using statistical tests to determine the extent to which chance may have an influence on the data.