Arrange the following organisms in the correct order of evolution, using the codes given below:
- (I) *Phytophthora*
- (II) *Agaricus*
- (III) *Alternaria*
- (IV) *Morchella*
Codes:
- A(I), (II), (IV), (III)
- B(II), (IV), (III), (I)
- C(I), (IV), (II), (III)
- D(III), (II), (I), (IV)
Show answer and explanation
BPSC treated this question as having no correct option (cancelled).
Explanation
BPSC dropped this question from its final answer key, so no option is marked as correct here.
The four are very different organisms, and there is no single accepted order of evolution among them:
- *Phytophthora* (the cause of late blight of potato) is an oomycete (water mould), now not counted as a true fungus;
- *Morchella* (morel) is an ascomycete (sac fungus);
- *Agaricus* (the button mushroom) is a basidiomycete (club fungus);
- *Alternaria* was placed among the Deuteromycetes (imperfect fungi) because its sexual stage was unknown; it is related to the ascomycetes.
The book's key is (c): (I), (IV), (II), (III).