Select the correct match from the following.

Options

A. Adaptive radiation : Australian marsupials
B. Origin of Earth : 20 billion years age
C. Most acceptable theory of origin of life Neo - Darwinism
D. Panspermia : Life evolved from pre-existing chemicals

Answer

To solve the question of selecting the correct match from the given options, we will analyze each statement and its corresponding match step by step.

### Step 1: Understand Adaptive Radiation
- **Definition**: Adaptive radiation is the process by which organisms diversify rapidly from an ancestral species into a wide variety of forms to adapt to different environments.
- **Example**: Australian marsupials are a classic example of adaptive radiation, as they have evolved to occupy various ecological niches in Australia.

### Step 2: Evaluate the First Match
- **Match**: Adaptive radiation with Australian marsupials.
- **Analysis**: This match is correct because Australian marsupials have diversified from a common ancestor to adapt to different habitats.

### Step 3: Evaluate the Second Match
- **Match**: Origin of Earth as 20 billion years ago.
- **Analysis**: This match is incorrect. The Earth is estimated to have formed about 4.54 billion years ago, not 20 billion years ago.

### Step 4: Evaluate the Third Match
- **Match**: Most acceptable theory of origin of life as Neo-Darwinism.
- **Analysis**: This match is also incorrect. The most widely accepted theory for the origin of life is the RNA world hypothesis, which suggests that life began with simple RNA molecules.

### Step 5: Evaluate the Fourth Match
- **Match**: Panspermia as life evolving from pre-existing chemicals.
- **Analysis**: This match is incorrect. Panspermia is the hypothesis that life originated from microorganisms or chemical precursors of life present in outer space and was brought to Earth, not from pre-existing chemicals on Earth.

### Conclusion
After evaluating all the matches:
- The only correct match is **Adaptive radiation with Australian marsupials**.

### Final Answer
The correct answer is the first match: **Adaptive radiation - Australian marsupials**.

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