Websink Prep UKKS2 ScienceYear 6 chaptersScience textbooksYear 1Year 2Year 3Year 4Year 5Year 6Year 7Year 8Year 9Browse allPast papersFind a tutorBecome a tutor
Primary Science · Year 6Chapter 6 · Offspring, adaptation and evolution
Year 6 Science · Offspring, adaptation and evolution · Lesson 6.1

Year 6 Science: Offspring are alike but not identical

Part of the Year 6 Science offspring, adaptation and evolution chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page

6.1

Offspring are alike but not identical

Year 6
EV2: living things produce offspring of the same kind, but offspring normally vary and are not identical to their parents
Story. Ruby has two rabbits at home, a mother and her baby. “Her babies look like her,” says Ruby. “But they are not exactly the same,” says her uncle. “One has short ears and white fur, and the others do not.”

Offspring are the young of living things. Offspring are of the same kind as their parents: a rabbit has rabbit offspring, and a daisy has daisy offspring.

However, offspring normally vary. This means they are not identical to their parents or to each other. Each offspring may have a mix of features from its parents, so some features are the same and some are different.

Parentlong earsbrown furOffspring 1long earsbrown furOffspring 2short earswhite fur
A parent rabbit with long ears and brown fur, and two offspring: one matches the parent, and one has short ears and white fur. Not to scale.

The table compares the parent and two offspring.

AnimalEarsFur
Parentlong earsbrown fur
Offspring 1long earsbrown fur
Offspring 2short earswhite fur

Key ideas

  • Offspring are of the same kind as their parents.
  • Offspring normally vary, so they are not identical to their parents.
  • Some features may match the parent, and others may be different.
  • Variation is why living things in the same family can look different.
Worked example 6.1.1
Look at the table in section 6.1. Which offspring has the same ears as the parent? Write the name.

Method. Compare the ears in each row.

  1. Read the parent row. The parent has long ears.
    long ears
  2. Read the offspring rows. Offspring 1 also has long ears, but offspring 2 has short ears.
    Offspring 1
  3. Write the answer.
    Offspring 1

Check. Offspring 2 has short ears, which is different from the parent. ✓

Worked example 6.1.2
Is Offspring 2 of the same kind as the parent, even though it has white fur? Write yes or no.

Method. Think about the kind of living thing.

  1. Think about the kind. Offspring 2 is still a rabbit, so it is the same kind of animal.
    rabbit
  2. Decide. It differs in fur and ears, but it is of the same kind, so the answer is yes.
    yes
  3. Write the answer.
    yes

Check. Variation changes features, not the kind of living thing. ✓

Worked example 6.1.3
Do offspring have to be identical to their parents? Write yes or no.

Method. Read the idea of variation.

  1. Read the idea. Offspring normally vary, and they are not identical to their parents.
    not identical
  2. Decide. So offspring do not have to be identical, and the answer is no.
    no
  3. Write the answer.
    no

Check. Variation is normal. ✓

Watch out

Watch out: offspring are of the same kind as their parents, but they are not copies of them. A rabbit baby is always a rabbit, but it can have different features.

Exam tip

Exam tip. When you describe offspring, say that they are the same kind, and that they normally vary from their parents.

Try it (with your teacher, or a grown-up at home). Look at photographs of people in a family with a grown-up, if the family agrees. Notice which features are the same and which are different. Do not share photographs without permission.

Exercise 6A  Offspring are alike but not identical

1
FWhat are the young of living things called? Write the word.
2
FAre offspring usually of the same kind as their parents? Write yes or no.
3
FDo offspring normally vary from their parents? Write yes or no.
4
FLook at the table in section 6.1. What is the colour of the fur of Offspring 2? Write the colour.
5
FWhich two living things in the table have the same ears? Write the two names.
6
FWhich living thing in the table has a different fur colour from its parent? Write the name.
7
PSIs it true that a baby rabbit can have short ears, even when its parents have long ears? Write yes or no.
8
PSAli says that offspring are exact copies of their parents. Is Ali right? Write yes or no.
9
PSA puppy has the same kind of ears as its mother, but a different fur colour. Is the puppy of the same kind as its mother? Write yes or no.
10
PSName one feature that offspring can have that is different from their parents. Write one word.
11
RExplain why a family of rabbits can look alike and still be different. Write one sentence.
12
RExplain why offspring that vary can be helpful to a species. Write one sentence.
13
RChallenge: explain why an offspring that varies from its parents is still a member of the same species. Write one sentence.

Websink Prep UK is an independent site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by AQA, Pearson Edexcel, OCR, WJEC, Eduqas, CCEA, SQA, GL Assessment, CEM or the Department for Education. All exam board names and trademarks belong to their owners. Past papers are linked from the exam boards' own websites and are not hosted here.

About Websink Prep UK · Find a tutor · Privacy · Terms · Cookie settings