Q.159 Zoology ⭐ 360° Option Elimination Active
NEET 2026 Zoology Question 159 Solution
Topic: Evolution · Official NTA Booklet Code 50
Question
Which of the following is not evidence for evolution?
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Verified Against NTA Final Answer Key
Option (3) : Embryological support for evolution as proposed by Ernst Haeckel
📚 Evolution Easy
📋 Given Parameters & Problem Setup
Context Evidence for Evolution in modern evolutionary biology
Criterion NOT an accepted evidence
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⏱️ Save ~35 seconds The 30-Second Exam Hall Shortcut: ⚡ von Baer Disproof Trigger
Ernst Haeckel’s Biogenetic Law was DISPROVED by Karl Ernst von Baer!
1 Notice negative query: "Which of the following is NOT an accepted evidence...".
2 Recall NCERT Evolution Section 7.3: Ernst Haeckel proposed embryological support based on observation that certain features during embryonic stages common to all vertebrates are absent in adult.
3 However, this proposal was disapproved/rejected by Karl Ernst von Baer, who noted that embryos never pass through the adult stages of other animals.
4 Homology, Analogy, and Industrial melanism are all accepted, rigorous evidences.
5 Pick Option (3) immediately.
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Why You Can 100% Trust This Shortcut: NCERT Biology · Evolution (Adaptive Radiation: Darwin’s finches evolving from ancestral seed-eating stock).
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Step-by-Step Rigorous Workflow & Mathematical Proof
Step 1
Haeckel’s Proposal and von Baer’s Disproof
Ernst Haeckel proposed embryological support for evolution based on the observation of certain features during embryonic stages common to all vertebrates that are absent in adults (e.g., vestigial gill slits in human embryos).
- • Von Baer noted that embryos never pass through the adult stages of other animals; hence Haeckel’s generalization is not an accepted evolutionary law.
Step 2
Evaluate Accepted Evidences
Homologous organs (divergent evolution, e.g., vertebrate forelimbs), analogous organs (convergent evolution, e.g., sweet potato and potato), and industrial melanism (natural selection in Biston betularia) are fully accepted empirical evidences.
- • Thus, Option (3) is the single non-accepted proposal.
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4-Option Deep Scan
360° Option Elimination Engine Key Feature
Diagnose every choice: Know exactly why the right option works and why distractors fail.
1 A
✗ Incorrect Verdict & Scientific Reason:
Incorrect choice because it IS an accepted, robust evidence for evolution (indicates common ancestry).
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Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Missing the "NOT" in the question stem.
2 B
✗ Incorrect Verdict & Scientific Reason:
Incorrect choice because it IS an accepted evidence demonstrating adaptive convergence in similar habitats.
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Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Overlooking that analogy is standard evolutionary evidence.
3 C
✓ 100% Correct Verdict & Scientific Reason:
100% correct. Ernst Haeckel’s proposal was officially disapproved by Karl Ernst von Baer and is rejected as valid evidence.
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Why this is airtight: None; direct textbook recall.
4 D
✗ Incorrect Verdict & Scientific Reason:
Incorrect choice because industrial melanism IS classic, accepted evidence of natural selection in action.
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Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Failing to realize industrial melanism is accepted empirical evidence.
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NTA Trap Alert: Embryological Homology vs. Haeckel’s Biogenetic Law
Comparative embryology in general provides insights, but Ernst Haeckel’s specific proposal ("ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny") was explicitly discarded after Karl Ernst von Baer showed embryos never pass through adult stages.
🛡️ How to avoid the -1 mark: Associate Haeckel with the word "disapproved" in NCERT.
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Core NEET Syllabus Standard
NEET Biology Core Syllabus · Evolution Standard Benchmark
Core Scientific Principle Tested:
"Embryological support proposed by Ernst Haeckel was disapproved by Karl Ernst von Baer."
Syllabus Focus: Evidences for Evolution
✓ Core NEET UG Syllabus Anchor Syllabus & Academic Standards ↗
Haeckel was Held back and Disapproved by von Baer!
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