Given below are two statements: Statement I: Gause's 'Competitive Exclusion Principle' states that two closely related species competing for the same resources cannot co-exist indefinitely and the competitively inferior one will be eliminated eventually. Statement II: In general, carnivores are more adversely affected by competition than herbivores. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below: (NEET 2023 (Phase 1))
Answer: (C) Statement I is correct but Statement II is false.. Answer: (C) Statement I is correct but Statement II is false.
- A.Both Statement I and Statement II are true.
- B.Both Statement I and Statement II are false.
- C.Statement I is correct but Statement II is false.✓
- D.Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is true.
Correct Answer
(C) Statement I is correct but Statement II is false.
Solution & Explanation
Answer: (C) Statement I is correct but Statement II is false. Statement I correctly states Gause's Competitive Exclusion Principle (two closely related species competing for the same resources cannot co-exist indefinitely; the competitively inferior one is eliminated) - TRUE. Statement II claims carnivores are more adversely affected by competition than herbivores - this is FALSE; NCERT states the opposite, that herbivores and plants are more adversely affected by competition than carnivores. Hence Statement I true, Statement II false = option (c)/answer C. NCERT: Ch 11, p.199, lines 27-29 — "plants appear to be more adversely affected by competition than"