Question

Concept of phylogeny was proposed by
A) John Ray
B) Lamarck
C) Ernest Haeckel
D) Darwin

Answer 1

Phylogeny is the study of evolutionary history of organisms. It gives a reference to the descent and relationship among groups of organisms.

Complete answer:
Let us analyse the options to find the correct answer
Option A: John Ray was a naturalist and botanist who gave the concept of typographic species. These are a group of organisms which besides their breeding incompatibility are morphologically similar. Hence, this is the incorrect option.
Option B: Lamarck's theory is also called Lamarckism which states that certain characters are acquired by organisms during their lifetime due to the changing environment conditions. This can be explained by the evolutionary advantage of long necked giraffes over short necked giraffes. Hence, this is the incorrect option.
Option C: The term phylogeny was coined by Ernst Haeckel. He used this term to depict the evolutionary relationships of a taxonomic group. He also gave the phrase “ontogeny repeats phylogeny” which is the biogenetic law. Ontogeny refers to the life history of an individual and phylogeny refers to its evolutionary or ancestral history. Hence, this is the correct option.
Option D: Darwin gave the concept of natural selection thus explaining evolution. He proposed that the survival and reproductive ability of an organism are defined by their adaption to the environment brought about by changes in the phenotype. Natural selection is the main driving force of evolutionary processes in organisms. Hence, this is the correct option.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (C) Ernst haeckel.

Note:
(i) Phylogeny is represented using a phylogenetic tree called Cladogram.
(ii) Phylogeny is used by scientists to detect genetic mutations and study those populations which are at a risk of genetic diseases.