Q1. With reference to the BSIP Jamun study, consider the following statements: 1. According to the study, the genus Syzygium first evolved in Australia and dispersed westwards into India. 2. A reinvestigation of older Indian fossil records suggests Syzygium has been continuously present in the Indian region since the Early Eocene, around 55 million years ago. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Only Statement 2 is correct. The reinvestigation of older Indian fossil records indicates that Syzygium has been continuously present in the Indian region since the Early Eocene, around 55 million years ago. Statement 1 is wrong because the study explicitly overturns the earlier view of an Australian or Southeast Asian origin and instead establishes that the genus first evolved in the Indian region within East Gondwana and dispersed along the path India to Southeast Asia to Australia.