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IB ESS HL 3.1.13 Hl Human Driven Selection Questions

Analyse how human activity imposes selection pressures on populations.

Syllabus
First assessment 2026
Course
ESS HL
Level
HL

Exam points

  • interpret how pollution is associated with different distributions of light and dark peppered moths
  • explain how camouflage changes survival and reproduction through natural selection
  • explain how human-driven environmental change alters selective pressures and the distribution of inherited forms

Learn this topic

Study 3.1.13 (HL)—Human-driven selection conceptsOpen the corresponding Concept lesson for explanations, examples and exam connections.

IB ESS HL 3.1.13 Hl Human Driven Selection Questions question 1

[Maximum number: 2]

Question (a)

(a)
Distribution of two peppered-moth forms

Figure:Distribution of two peppered-moth forms

Figure 4 below shows the distribution of two forms of peppered moths in woodlands of the UK in the 1950s. At the time, surfaces of most trees in Central and South Eastern England were heavily blackened with deposits of carbon from local coal burning. There are two forms of the moth, dark and light, and both may be eaten by woodland birds.

[ 2 ]

Question (i)

(i)

Describe the relationship between the distribution of the two forms of moths and habitat pollution.

[ 1 ]

Question (ii)

(ii)

Suggest one reason to explain the relationship you have identified in (b)(i).

[ 1 ]
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