Which one of the following options lists landmasses that were all a part of the ancient Gondwana supercontinent?
Africa, Australia, Antarctica, India, Madagascar, and South America
Gondwana Supercontinent
The Earth's continents were once part of a single giant landmass called Pangaea. Around 200 million years ago, Pangaea began to break apart into two large supercontinents: Laurasia in the north and Gondwana in the south.
The ancient Gondwana supercontinent consisted of the landmasses that are now the continents of the Southern Hemisphere, plus India and Madagascar.
Composition of Gondwana
The main components of the Gondwana supercontinent were:
- Africa
- Australia
- Antarctica
- India (which later drifted north and collided with Asia)
- Madagascar
- South America
Laurasia, the northern supercontinent, included what is now North America, Europe, and most of Asia.
Analyzing the Options
Let's look at the given options and see which one correctly lists only the landmasses that were part of Gondwana:
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Option 1: Australia, New Zealand, and North America.
This option includes North America, which was part of the northern supercontinent, Laurasia, not Gondwana. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
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Option 2: Africa, Europe, India, New Zealand, and South America.
This option includes Europe, which was part of Laurasia. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
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Option 3: Africa, Europe, India, Madagascar, and North America.
This option includes both Europe and North America, which were part of Laurasia. Therefore, this option is incorrect.
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Option 4: Africa, Australia, Antarctica, India, Madagascar, and South America.
This option lists landmasses that were all key parts of the Gondwana supercontinent. This list aligns with the geological evidence for the composition of Gondwana.
Identifying the Correct List
Based on the composition of the ancient Gondwana supercontinent, Option 4 provides the accurate list of landmasses that were part of it.
Important Questions from Evolution and Behavior
Reduction in the frequency of heterozygous genotype with a concomitant increase in the frequency of homozygous genotype, in context of random mating is due to
A founder population has an Aa heterozygous genotype with a frequency of 1, and no individual with either AA or aa genotypes. With repeated self-fertilization, the frequency of AA, Aa and aa after three generations will be:
Many species of birds call at dawn in temperate regions. The phenomenon is referred to as "Dawn Chorus". Several explanations have been proposed for this. Which one of the options is NOT a correct explanation for the occurrence of "Dawn Chorus"?
- Column X lists evolutionary ideas and scientists who proposed them, and Column Y lists the description of these ideas.
Column X
Column Y
A.
Modern synthesis by Julian Huxley
I.
A stochastic process where lineages show random geneological relationships when traced back in time.
B.
Phyletic gradualism by Charles Darwin
II.
Evolutionary change appears instantaneous between geological sedimentary layers.
C.
Punctuated equilibrium by Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge
III.
Synthesis between Mendelian genetics, population genetics, and selection theory.
D.
Coalescent model (inspired by) Wright- Fisher model
IV.
New species arise by the gradual transformation of ancestral species.
Which one of the following options represents all correct matches between Column X and Column Y? Which one of the following statements about the molecular clock hypothesis as proposed by Zuckerkandl and Pauling 1962 is CORRECT?
