Before You Begin

Question #135826

Difficulty: 8/10 | 🟢 Free

The Question

Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R).

Assertion (A): If a specific species of Pronuba moth is declared 'Extinct' on the IUCN Red List, its associated Yucca plant species will inevitably face co-extinction, even if the plant's current vegetative population is massive. Reason (R): The Yucca plant and Pronuba moth exhibit obligate mutualism; the extinction of the moth causes an immediate loss of seed-setting capacity in the plant, making secondary extinction an ecological certainty.

In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

Options

A.
Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
B.
Both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
C.
(A) is correct but (R) is not correct
D.
(A) is not correct but (R) is correct

Check Your Answer

Correct Answer

Step-by-Step Solution

Explanation

How the Examiner Thinks

Regulatory_Failure

Understand how NOT, EXCEPT, and logical constraints are used to manipulate exam results.

Concepts Behind This Question

IUCN Red List Data|Co-extinction Logic|Obligate Mutualists

Why This Question Is Tricky

Examiner Levers

Logical Assertion

Tests the causal relationship between two true statements.

Difficulty Boost : +4

Common Mistakes

Conceptual Pivot: Students often equate a large current population size (high census data) with species safety.

The trap lies in failing to distinguish between vegetative persistence and reproductive viability.

In obligate mutualism, the loss of a pollinator creates a delayed demographic collapse (co-extinction) that is ecologically certain, even if not immediately visible in adult plant numbers.

Quick Facts About This Question

Question Information

Subject	Biology
Chapter	Biodiversity and Conservation - Class 12
Concept	IUCN Red List Data
Difficulty	8
Cognitive Load	5
Target Solve Time	120 sec
Access	Free