Question

All of the following are theories of organic evolution except
A. Natural Selection
B. Mutation theory
C. Neo-Darwinism
D. Theory of Recapitulation

Answer 1

Hint: Organic evolution is the process by which changes in the genetic composition of populations of organisms occur in response to environmental changes.

Complete answer:
- All of the following are theories of organic evolution except the ‘Theory of Recapitulation'. Organic evolution is the theory that more recent types of plants and animals have their origins in other pre-existing forms and that the differences between ancestors and descendants are due to modifications in successive generations. Continuous evolution over successive generations can result in the formation of new species.
- The theory of recapitulation also called the biogenetic law or the embryological parallelism was given by Ernst Haeckel. It expresses Ernst Haeckel's phrase "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny”. This hypothesis states that the development of the embryo of an animal, from fertilization to gestation or hatching (ontogeny), goes through stages resembling successive adult stages in the evolution of the animal's ancestors (phylogeny).
- Theory of Natural Selection- It was given by Charles Darwin in 1859. In his famous theory, he stated natural selection as a probable cause for adaptation and speciation. He defined natural selection as the "principle by which each slight variation [of a trait], if useful, is preserved".
- Hugo de Vries in (1901) put forward a theory of evolution, called the Mutation theory. The theory states that evolution is a jerky process where new varieties and species are formed by mutations (discontinuous variations) that function as a raw material of evolution.
- Neo-Darwinism is generally used to describe the integrated conclusions of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection with Gregor Mendel's theory of genetics.

So, the correct answer is the Theory of Recapitulation.

Note:
- In his work, On the Origin of Species, first published in 1859, Darwin demonstrated the existence of organic evolution.
- Ontogeny tells us about the development of an individual whereas, Phylogeny is about the evolutionary history of a population, and how it is related to others.
- Recapitulation is an idea that the development of an embryo followed the evolutionary history of that organism.