Q.160 Zoology ⭐ 360° Option Elimination Active

NEET 2026 Zoology Question 160 Solution

Topic: Evolution · Official NTA Booklet Code 50

Question

Given below are two statements: Statement I: Modern Homo sapiens arose in Australia and moved across continents. Statement II: Homo sapiens arose around 75000 to 10000 years ago. In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

(1)Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
(2)Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
(3)Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
(4)Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct

✓

Verified Against NTA Final Answer Key

Option (4) : Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct

📚 Evolution Medium

📋 Given Parameters & Problem Setup

Statement I Homo sapiens arose in Australia and moved across continents.

Statement II During ice age between 75,000-10,000 years ago modern Homo sapiens arose.

⚡

The 30-Second Exam Hall Shortcut: ⚡ Cradle of Humankind (Africa Rule)

⏱️ Save ~40 seconds

Homo sapiens arose in AFRICA (not Australia)! Ice Age = 75k - 10k years ago!

1 Analyze Statement I: "Homo sapiens arose in Australia..." -> FALSE! NCERT states: "Homo sapiens arose in Africa and moved across continents".

2 Analyze Statement II: "During ice age between 75,000-10,000 years ago modern Homo sapiens arose." -> TRUE (NCERT verbatim).

3 Conclusion: Statement I is incorrect, but Statement II is correct.

4 Select Option (4) directly.

🛡️

Why You Can 100% Trust This Shortcut: NCERT Biology · Evolution (Human Evolution: Homo habilis brain capacity 650-800 cc, did not eat meat).

📐

Step-by-Step Rigorous Workflow & Mathematical Proof

Step 1

Geographical Origin of Modern Homo sapiens

Anthropological and genetic evidence documented in NCERT confirms that Homo sapiens arose in Africa and moved across continents and developed into distinct races.

\text{Origin of } \textit{Homo sapiens} \equiv \mathbf{Africa} \quad (\neq \text{Australia}) \implies \text{Statement I is False}

• Australia was colonized much later via maritime migration.

Step 2

Timeline of Modern Homo sapiens

During the ice age between 75,000–10,000 years ago, modern Homo sapiens arose. Pre-historic cave art developed about 18,000 years ago, and agriculture started around 10,000 years back.

75{,}000 - 10{,}000 \text{ years ago (Ice Age)} \implies \text{Modern } \textit{Homo sapiens} \text{ arose} \implies \text{Statement II is True}

• Cave paintings at Bhimbetka rock shelter date back to ~18,000 years ago.

⭐

360° Option Elimination Engine Key Feature

Diagnose every choice: Know exactly why the right option works and why distractors fail.

4-Option Deep Scan

1 A

✗ Incorrect

Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect because Statement I is false (Africa, not Australia).

⚠️

Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Overlooking the geographical error in Statement I.

2 B

✗ Incorrect

Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect because Statement II is completely correct.

⚠️

Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Doubting the ice age timeline.

3 C

✗ Incorrect

Verdict & Scientific Reason:

Incorrect. Statement I is false and Statement II is true.

⚠️

Student Fallacy (Why candidates pick this trap): Reversing the truth values of both statements.

4 D

✓ 100% Correct

Verdict & Scientific Reason:

100% correct. Statement I is false (Homo sapiens arose in Africa) and Statement II is true (75,000-10,000 years ago).

💡

Why this is airtight: None; precise NCERT recall.

⚠️

NTA Trap Alert: Geographical Substitution Trap

NTA replaced "Africa" with "Australia". Fast readers often skim "Homo sapiens arose in [starts with A]..." and mistakenly read Africa.

🛡️ How to avoid the -1 mark: Never skim place names in statement questions; read every syllable carefully.

📖

Core NEET Syllabus Standard

NEET Biology Core Syllabus · Evolution Standard Benchmark

Core Scientific Principle Tested:

"Homo sapiens arose in Africa and moved across continents; modern Homo sapiens arose during the ice age between 75,000-10,000 years ago."

Syllabus Focus: Origin and Evolution of Man

✓ Core NEET UG Syllabus Anchor Syllabus & Academic Standards ↗

Out of AFRICA (not Australia) into the Ice Age!

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NEET 2026 Zoology Question 160 Solution

Question

The 30-Second Exam Hall Shortcut: ⚡ Cradle of Humankind (Africa Rule)

Step-by-Step Rigorous Workflow & Mathematical Proof

Geographical Origin of Modern Homo sapiens

Timeline of Modern Homo sapiens

360° Option Elimination Engine Key Feature

NTA Trap Alert: Geographical Substitution Trap

Core NEET Syllabus Standard

Ready to attempt under real exam pressure?

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