Evolution is a Science & Technology concept from the MPSC syllabus, tested in 4 past MPSC questions (2014, 2020, 2025). Below are those real questions with their correct answers and explanations, plus the concepts worth being comfortable with first.
Basic biologyHistory of EarthFossilsEvolutionary theoryHistory of biologyEvolutionary concepts
Real questions that test this
the human species. Our closest relatives are Chimpanzee, Gorilla and Orang-utan. Similarities between man and other animal forms were identified by Linnaeus who grouped man, the great ape and monkey in a single order, primates. The three main theories of evolution are Lamarckism, Darwinism and Synthetic theory. Lamarck is chiefly remembered for his belief in the inheritability of acquired characters which is disputed. But he is credited in the history of evolutionary thought for recognizing and stating for the first time that evolution is a universal truth covering all forms of life and it is a gradual and an incessant process. The scientific propagation of the theory of evolution was mainly the work of Charles Darwin. He said, that human evolution occurs through the process of natural selection. The main points of this theory are struggle for existence, variation, survival of the fittest and natural selection. Darwins natural selection serves as the corner stone of the modern synthesis but the mutation theory, mendelian genetics and the statistics of population dynamics are also very important components of its foundation. The basic postulate of the synthetic theory is that evolution proceeds principally as a result of the interaction between five indispensable processes mutation, change in the chromosome number and structure, genetic recombination, natural selection and reproductive isolation. This is also called Neo Darwinism.
खालील कोणते विधान योग्य आहे ?
Which of the following statements is correct ?
(a)उष्ण रक्त प्राणी सर्वात अनुभवी असतात. / Warm blooded animals are the most experienced.
(b)उत्क्रांतीमध्ये असे गृहीत धरलेले आहे की सर्व सजीव एकत्र राहतात. / Evolution takes it for granted that all living beings live together.
1)फक्त (a) / Only (a)
2)फक्त (b) / Only (b)
3)(a) व (b) दोन्ही / (a) and (b) both
4)(a) व (b) दोन्हीही नाहीत / Neither (a) nor (b)✓ Correct
Neither statement is scientifically sound; warm-blooded animals are not universally the 'most experienced', and evolution does not assume all living beings live together.
डायनोसॉर वर्गीय प्राण्यांनी पृथ्वीवर किती वर्षे सत्ता गाजवली ? / How many years did dinosaurs rule the earth ?
1)26 कोटी वर्षे / 26 crore years
2)16 कोटी वर्षे / 16 crore years✓ Correct
3)06 कोटी वर्षे / 06 crore years
4)61 कोटी वर्षे / 61 crore years
Dinosaurs ruled the Earth for approximately 160 million years (16 कोटी वर्षे) during the Mesozoic Era.
the human species. Our closest relatives are Chimpanzee, Gorilla and Orang-utan. Similarities between man and other animal forms were identified by Linnaeus who grouped man, the great ape and monkey in a single order, primates. The three main theories of evolution are Lamarckism, Darwinism and Synthetic theory. Lamarck is chiefly remembered for his belief in the inheritability of acquired characters which is disputed. But he is credited in the history of evolutionary thought for recognizing and stating for the first time that evolution is a universal truth covering all forms of life and it is a gradual and an incessant process. The scientific propagation of the theory of evolution was mainly the work of Charles Darwin. He said, that human evolution occurs through the process of natural selection. The main points of this theory are struggle for existence, variation, survival of the fittest and natural selection. Darwins natural selection serves as the corner stone of the modern synthesis but the mutation theory, mendelian genetics and the statistics of population dynamics are also very important components of its foundation. The basic postulate of the synthetic theory is that evolution proceeds principally as a result of the interaction between five indispensable processes mutation, change in the chromosome number and structure, genetic recombination, natural selection and reproductive isolation. This is also called Neo Darwinism.
खालील कोणते विधान अयोग्य आहे ?
(a) चिंपांझी, गोरिल्ला व ओरांगउट्टान यांत अनुभवातून शिकण्याची क्षमता मानवापेक्षा कमी नाही.
(b) लॅमार्क, डार्विन व लिनेअस यांनी उत्क्रांतीची तत्वे मांडली.
Which of the following statements is incorrect ?
(a) The Chimpanzee, Gorilla and Orangutan have no less capacity to learn from experiences than that in man.
(b) Lamarck, Darwin and Linnaeus proposed the theory of evolution.
(a)चिंपांझी, गोरिल्ला व ओरांगउट्टान यांत अनुभवातून शिकण्याची क्षमता मानवापेक्षा कमी नाही. / The Chimpanzee, Gorilla and Orangutan have no less capacity to learn from experiences than that in man.
(b)लॅमार्क, डार्विन व लिनेअस यांनी उत्क्रांतीची तत्वे मांडली. / Lamarck, Darwin and Linnaeus proposed the theory of evolution.
1)फक्त (a) / Only (a)
2)फक्त (b) / Only (b)
3)(a) व (b) दोन्ही / Both (a) and (b)✓ Correct
4)(a) व (b) दोन्हीही नाहीत / Neither (a) nor (b)
Both statements are incorrect because while apes have learning capabilities, equating them or saying Linnaeus proposed evolution (he proposed taxonomy) makes the statements factually flawed.
खालील जोड्या जुळवा (योग्य पर्याय निवडा) / Match the following (use correct codes) :
(a)ॲरिस्टॉटल / Aristotle - (i) औषधशास्त्राचा जनक / Father of Medicine
(b)थियोफ्रास्टस / Theophrastus - (ii) अनुवंशिकशास्त्राचा जनक / Father of Genetics
(c)हिप्पोक्रेट्स / Hippocrates - (iii) वनस्पतीशास्त्राचा जनक / Father of Botany
(d)ग्रेगर जोहान मेंडेल / Gregor Johann Mendel - (iv) जीवशास्त्राचा जनक / Father of Biology
1)(a) (ii), (b) (i), (c) (iv), (d) (iii)
2)(a) (iii), (b) (ii), (c) (iv), (d) (i)
3)(a) (iv), (b) (iii), (c) (i), (d) (ii)✓ Correct
4)(a) (i), (b) (ii), (c) (iv), (d) (iii)
Aristotle is the Father of Biology, Theophrastus is the Father of Botany, Hippocrates is the Father of Medicine, and Gregor Johann Mendel is the Father of Genetics.