NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Biology Chapter 7-

Evolution

Exercise Page No.142

1. Explain antibiotic resistance observed in bacteria in light of Darwinian selection theory.

Solution:

As per Darwin’s observation, the environment selects entities with favorable variations, these entities
are capable of surviving. When a population of bacteria is attacked by a specific antibiotic, sensitive
bacteria tend to perish, while other bacteria possessing favorable mutations turn resistant even in the
presence of antibiotics and these survive, thriving, and rapidly multiplying as the other competing
bacteria have died out. Thus, the number of bacteria is on the rise. In addition to this, they mass transfer
these genes, resistant to bacteria, to other bacteria. Consequently, bacteria resistant to antibiotic widely
spread across making the entire population to become antibiotic-resistant.

2. Find out from newspapers and popular science articles any new fossil discoveries or
controversies about evolution.

Solution:

Fossil discover of dinosaurs had some interesting revelations. It conveys about the evolution of reptiles
in the Jurrasic era. This revelation gave rise to the discovery of evolution of other animals such as
mammals and birds. Two unfamiliar fossils recently unearthed in China exploded a controversy over the
evolution of birds. One such genus of primitive birds were Confuciusornis. These were crow-sized and
thrived during the Creataceous era in China.

3. Attempt giving a clear definition of the term species.

Solution:

Species is a group or population of individuals having the potential to interbreed and produce
sustainable and fertile offsprings.

4. Try to trace the various components of human evolution (hint: brain size and function, skeletal
structure, dietary preference, etc.)

Solution:

Human evolution can be based on different components, namely:

 Size of the brain
 Body posture
 Food habits/dietary preferences
 Characteristics/features
 NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Biology Chapter 7-
Evolution
The following table depicts the same:

Human evolution Size of the Body posture Food preferences Features

stages brain

Dryopithecus - Knuckle- Leaves and tender Equal sized arms and legs,
africans walking, ape- fruits large canines
like walk
Ramapethicus - Semi-erect Nuts and seeds Large molars, small
posture canines
Australopithecus 450 cm3 Completely Fruits Inhabited trees, stone
africanus erect posture, (herbivorous) weapons for hunting,
around 1.05m incisors &canines are
tall smaller
Homo habilis 735cm3 Completely Carnivorous Small canines, first to
erect posture, make tools
around 1.5m
tall
Homo erectus 800 cm3 to Completely Omnivorous For hunting used bone and
1100 cm3 erect posture, stone tools
around 1.5m –
1.8m tall
Homo 1300 cm3 to Completely Omnivorous Inhabited caves, buried
neanderthalnsis 1600 cm3 erect posture, their deads, hid their
around 1.5m – bodies for protection
1.66m tall
Homo sapiens 1650 cm3 Completely Omnivorous Possessed strong jaw with
fossils erect posture, teeth closely placed,
1.8m inhabited caves, made
carvings and paintings in
caves. Developed a culture
and were referred to as the
first modern men
Homo sapiens 1200 cm3to Completely Omnivorous Possess high intelligence
sapiens 1600 cm3 erect posture, quotient, referred to as the
around 1.5m – living modern men,
1.8m tall Developed language,
speech, culture, art,
language. Cultivation of
crops and domestication of
animals observed.
 NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Biology Chapter 7-
Evolution
5. Find out through internet and popular science articles whether animals other than man has self-
consciousness.

Solution:

Apart from humans, there are many other animals that possess self-consciousness. One such example is
the Dolphin. They are believed to have a high level of intelligence. Also, they have a sense of self and
can identify oneself amongst others. They whistle, tail-slap and exhibit body movements to
communicate with each other. Some other animals that exhibit self-consciousness are parrot, crow,
gorilla, orangutan, chimpanzee etc.

6. List 10 modern-day animals and using the internet resources link it to a corresponding ancient
fossil. Name both.

Solution:

The list is as follows:

Name of the Name of the

animal fossil
Horse Eohippus
Man Ramapithecus
Elephant Moerithers
Whale Protocetus
Fish Arandaspis
Giraffe Palaeotragus
Dog Leptocyon
Camel Protylopus
Tetrapods Icthyospega
Bat Archaeonycteris

7. Practise drawing various animals and plants.

Solution:

Take cues from seniors, teachers for names of different plants and animals. Go through different science
books, magazines, encyclopedia to get an idea of different plant and animal species. To get further more
details, internet serves as the ultimate option. There is a huge range of plants and animals from which
you can pick the easiest one to begin with and practice them. Try tracing the outline first and then fill up
the details.

8. Describe one example of adaptive radiation.

Solution:
 NCERT Solutions For Class 12 Biology Chapter 7-
Evolution
When members of a single assemblage or lineage, deviate evolutionarily into a range of different forms,
it is adaptive radiation. These are the forms that are governed by natural selection and the usage of
resources or habitats. The Darwin’s finches of the Galapagos islands had shared or common ancestors
whereas now, we have different sorts of modified beaks based on their food preferences. In order to suit
their feeding habits, these finches have adopted different eating preferences and varied beak types. From
a single seed-eating finch ancestor, different finch-species with varied dietary habits have evolved such
as the blood-sucking, insectivorous entities etc.

9. Can we call human evolution as adaptive radiation?

Solution:

Human evolution can be referred to adaptive radiation as adaptive radiation is an evolutionary process
which gives rise to new species from a single common ancestor but in the case of human evolution,
although we share a common ancestor, we humans have undergone an eventual but progressive
alteration in the eating preferences, structure of body etc. The evolution of human does not include
diversification and radiating into different species which in fact is a distinguishing feature of adaptive
radiation.

10. Using various resources such as your school Library or the internet and discussions with your
teacher, trace the evolutionary stages of any one animal, say horse.

Solution:

During the Eocene era, the evolution of horse began with Eohippus and involved the following
evolutionary phases:

Eohippus -> Mesohippus ->Merychippus -> Pliohippus -> Equus

Evolutionary traits observed were as follows:

 Increase in the size of body

 Elongated neck
 Expansion of the third digit
 Enhanced structural composition of the teeth to feed on grass
 Broadening of the limbs
 Eventual decrease in the lateral digits
 Strengthened back
 Sense organs and brain development