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Q13 (IAS/2014) Environment & Ecology › Ecology & Ecosystem Basics › Evolutionary processes Official Key

Which of the following phenomena might have influenced the evolution of organisms? 1. Continental drift 2. Glacial cycles Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Result
Your answer: —  Âˇ  Correct: C
Explanation

Both continental drift and glacial cycles have influenced the evolution of organisms.

Continental drift began around 200 million years ago when Pangaea split into Laurasia and Gondwanaland, which subsequently broke into smaller continents that exist today.[1] This breakup separated populations of organisms across different landmasses, leading to geographic isolation. When species are isolated on different continents, they evolve independently in response to different environmental conditions, resulting in divergent evolution and speciation.

During the last one million years there had been alternating glacial and inter-glacial episodes.[2] These glacial cycles created dramatic environmental changes—ice ages brought harsh, cold conditions while inter-glacial periods were warmer. Such climatic variations acted as selective pressures, forcing organisms to adapt or face extinction. Species that could adapt to changing temperatures, food availability, and habitats survived and evolved, while others perished.

Both phenomena—continental drift causing geographic isolation and glacial cycles causing climatic variations—served as major evolutionary drivers by creating diverse environmental pressures that shaped the characteristics of organisms over geological time.

Sources
  1. [1] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > CONTINENTAL DRIFT > p. 27
  2. [2] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 7: Climate Change > IntroductIon. > p. 8
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Which of the following phenomena might have influenced the evolution of organisms? 1. Continental drift 2. Glacial cycles Select the c…
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Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 ¡ 0/10
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This is a classic 'Interdisciplinary Bridge' question. It tests if you can connect Physical Geography (NCERT Class XI) with Basic Biology. It validates that you shouldn't study Geography in a silo; you must understand the *consequences* of geological events (Drift, Ice Ages) on the biosphere.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Did continental drift influence the evolution of organisms?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > Post-drift Studies > p. 28
Presence: 5/5
“It is interesting to note that for continental drift, most of the evidence was collected from the continental areas in the form of distribution of flora and fauna or deposits, like tillite. A number of discoveries during the post–World War II period added new information to geological literature. Particularly, the information collected from the ocean floor mapping provided new dimensions for the study of distribution of oceans and continents.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states that much evidence for continental drift came from distribution of flora and fauna — linking continental movement to organismal distribution.
  • Implies that changes in continental positions affected where species lived, a key mechanism for evolutionary change (vicariance, isolation).
FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Interior of the Earth > CONTINENTAL DRIFT > p. 27
Presence: 4/5
“This was regarding the distribution of the oceans and the continents. According to Wegener, all the continents formed a single continental mass and mega ocean surrounded the same. The super continent was named PANGAEA, which meant all earth. The mega-ocean was called PANTHALASSA, meaning all water. He argued that, around 200 million years ago, the super continent, Pangaea, began to split. Pangaea first broke into two large continental masses as Laurasia and Gondwanaland forming the northern and southern components respectively. Subsequently, Laurasia and Gondwanaland continued to break into various smaller continents that exist today. A variety of evidence was offered in support of the continental drift.”
Why this source?
  • Describes the breakup of Pangaea into Laurasia and Gondwanaland, a major geographic reorganization that would separate populations.
  • Provides the historical-geological context (continental fragmentation) that can drive speciation and divergent evolution.
Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 7: Tectonics > 7.2. Continental Drift Theory > p. 95
Presence: 3/5
“• A German geophysicist named Alfred Wegener suggested Continental Drift Theory (CDT) in 1912. According to CDT, there existed one big landmass called Pangaea which was covered by one big ocean called Panthalassa. A sea called Tethys divided the Pangaea into two huge landmasses: Laurentia (Laurasia) to the north and Gondwanaland to the south of Tethys. Drift started around 200 million years ago (Mesozoic Era Triassic Period Late Triassic Epoch), and the continents began to break up and drift away from one another.”
Why this source?
  • Gives timing and the existence of a single supercontinent (Pangaea) and its later breakup (~200 Ma), allowing correlation with major evolutionary events.
  • Establishes the large-scale continental movements necessary for long-term biogeographic and evolutionary effects.
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