Assertion : Interspecific competition is the only potent force in organic evolution. Reason: Unexceptionally two closely related species competing for the same resources cannot co-exist indefinitely.

Step-by-step solution

Darwin was convinced that interspecific competition is a potent force in organic evolution. It is generally believed that competition occurs when closely related species compete for the same resources that are limiting, but it is not entirely true. Totally unrelated species could also compete for the same resource. Gause's 'Competitive Exclusion Principle' states that two closely related species competing for the same resources cannot co-exist indefinitely and the competitively inferior one will be eliminated event