Official Answer Key & Detailed Solution
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Correct Answer: Option (C) — Salamander-Python-Kangaroo
Concept & Option Breakdown
Standard Reference VerifiedThe correct vertebrate evolutionary sequence is:
- Amphibians (e.g., Salamander) — evolved from ancestral lobe-finned fishes.
- Reptiles (e.g., Python) — evolved from ancestral amphibians with terrestrial adaptations (amniotic egg).
- Mammals (e.g., Kangaroo) — synapsid lineage evolving later from ancestral reptilian stock.
Evaluation of other sequences:
- (a) Octopus (Mollusc) -> Dolphin (Mammal) -> Shark (Chondrichthyes fish) is out of chronological order.
- (b) Pangolin (Mammal) -> Tortoise (Reptile) -> Hawk (Bird) is reversed.
- (d) Frog (Amphibian/Vertebrate) -> Crab (Arthropod) -> Prawn (Arthropod) is reversed.
Evolutionary progression in vertebrates follows: Fish -> Amphibians (Salamander) -> Reptiles (Python) -> Birds/Mammals (Kangaroo).
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