NEET2026BiologyChapterActual
Which of the following correctly highlights the difference between the evolutionary concepts proposed by Charles Darwin and Hugo de Vries?
Options
- ADarwin suggested that variations are random and directionless, whereas de Vries stated they are small and dire
- BDarwinian evolution is a gradual process, whereas de Vries proposed that evolution occurs through saltation.
- CDarwin attributed speciation to large discontinuous mutations, while de Vries attributed it to the natural sel
- DBoth scientists concluded that evolution is a strictly continuous process driven by minor inheritable changes
Correct answer
B. Darwinian evolution is a gradual process, whereas de Vries proposed that evolution occurs through saltation.
Step-by-step solution
According to Charles Darwin, evolution is a gradual process driven by small, directional variations that are selected by nature over time. Hugo de Vries proposed the mutation theory of evolution, stating that new species arise from sudden, large, random, and directionless changes called mutations. He termed this single-step large mutation as saltation. Therefore, Darwinian evolution is gradual, whereas de Vries proposed that evolution occurs through saltation. Answer: Darwinian evolution is a gradual process, where