Evolution and Origin of Life — NEET Biology
📚 Practice ConceptEvolutionary Biology is the study of history of life forms on earth. What exactly is evolution? To understand the changes in flora and fauna that have occurred over millions of years on earth, we must have an understanding of the context of origin of life, i.e., evolution of earth, of stars and indeed of the universe itself. What follows is the longest of all the contrived and conjectured stories. This is the story of origin of life and evolution of life forms or biodiversity on planet earth in the context of evolution of earth and against the background of evolution of universe itself.
Which of the following statements are correct regarding evolution as a process and its underlying mechanisms? S1: Evolution is primarily understood as a process involving gradual changes in life forms over millions of years, driven by natural selection. S2: The rate of appearance of new forms is generally independent of the life cycle or life span of the organism. S3: Evolution by anthropogenic action, such as the overuse of antibiotics, demonstrates that evolution is a directed process. S4: When describing the story of life on earth, evolution is considered a consequence of the process called natural selection. S5: Disturbances in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, such as gene flow or genetic drift, can lead to evolutionary change.
View solution & NCERT explanation
Correct answer: A — S1, S4 and S5
Let's evaluate each statement concerning the nature of evolution: S1: This statement is correct. Evolution is described as a gradual process of change in life forms over vast geological timescales, with natural selection being a primary driving mechanism. S2: This statement is incorrect. NCERT states that the rate of appearance of new forms is linked to the life cycle or life span of the organism. For example, microbes evolve much faster than fish or fowl due to shorter generation times. S3: This statement is incorrect. While anthropogenic actions like antibiotic use can drive rapid evolutionary changes (e.g., resistance), NCERT clarifies that evolution is not a directed process in the sense of determinism. It's a stochastic process. S4: This statement is correct. NCERT explains that when describing the history of life on Earth, evolution is often viewed as the outcome or consequence of processes like natural selection. S5: This statement is correct. The Hardy-Weinberg principle describes genetic equilibrium in a non-evolving population. Disturbances to this equilibrium, caused by factors such as gene migration (gene flow), genetic drift, mutation, genetic recombination, and natural selection, lead to evolutionary change. Therefore, statements S1, S4, and S5 are correct. The correct option is A because it accurately identifies S1, S4, and S5 as correct statements. Options B, C, and D include incorrect statements or exclude correct ones.
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Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 176 of the 180 ReNEET 2026 (June 21) questions were already in the MedicNEET question bank before the exam.
176/180MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.