Recently, our scientists have discovered a new and distinct species of banana plant which attains a height of about 11 meters and has orange-colored fruit pulp. In which part of India has it been discovered?

Answer: (a) Andaman Islands

Musa indandamanensis, a wild banana with orange pulp, was found in the Andaman Islands (2016).

The idea

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are remote and have been cut off from the mainland for a very long time, so they hold many species found nowhere else, and botanists still find new ones there. This wild banana was found in the tropical rainforest of Little Andaman.

Isolated islands → Species evolve separately → Many endemics → New species still being described

The trap

A current-affairs recall.

Also know

Wild relatives of crops matter because they carry genes for resistance to disease and drought that breeders can use. India is the world’s largest producer of bananas.