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!

Ready to attempt under real exam pressure?

Test your speed and accuracy in the authentic 180-minute timed NTA simulator.

Launch NEET 2026 CBT Test →

← Previous (Q.159) All Zoology Questions Grid Next (Q.161) →

Spotted a mistake in this solution? Report an error ([email protected])

⚖️ Legal & Fair Dealing Notice: Sourced from publicly released NEET 2026 question papers and NEET answer keys for private study, research, and non-commercial educational practice under Fair Dealing (Section 52(1)(a) of the Indian Copyright Act, 1957). Not affiliated with or endorsed by NTA or NMC.

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?

🔗 Related Questions — Evolution

Analogous Organs and Convergent Evolution (Sweet Potato vs Potato)

Chronological Sequence of Hominid Fossil Forms (Past to Recent)

Analogous Organs and Convergent Evolution (Penguins and Dolphins)

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium: Factors Disrupting vs Maintaining Equilibrium

Solve 4 NEET Questions a Day — One per Subject