Question 1

All yams consumed in India are introduced species brought from the Americas or Africa.

Accepted Answer

The Western Ghats is a major hub of endemic wild yam (Dioscorea) species, like D. balakrishnanii, which have been consumed natively by indigenous Indian tribes for millennia.

Question 2

A new species discovery always involves finding a plant that was completely unknown to humans before.

Accepted Answer

Many 'new' species, like Dioscorea balakrishnanii, are thoroughly known to local indigenous tribes (as 'chola kizhangu') and are only 'new' to formal Western scientific taxonomy.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the newly discovered plant species Dioscorea balakrishnanii:
1. It is an endemic wild yam found exclusively in the dry deciduous forests of Central India.
2. The tuber is characterized by a low glycemic index, making it suitable for diabetic diets.
3. Its formal taxonomic classification heavily relied on the traditional ecological knowledge of the Kattunayikar tribe.
How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

(b) Only two — Statement 1 is incorrect because Dioscorea balakrishnanii is endemic to the evergreen shola forests of Wayanad in the Western Ghats, not the dry deciduous forests of Central India. Statements 2 and 3 are correct. Its low glycemic index and the foundational role of the Kattunayikar tribe's traditional knowledge (who know it as 'chola kizhangu') are key aspects of this discovery.

Question 4

Match the following components related to recent biodiversity discoveries with their corresponding descriptions:
List I
A. Dioscorea balakrishnanii
B. Shola forests
C. Kattunayikar
D. PPV&FR Act, 2001
List II
1. Legislation that protects traditional plant knowledge of farmers and tribes
2. Indigenous community of Wayanad known for foraging wild tubers
3. High-altitude evergreen vegetation unique to the Western Ghats
4. Newly classified tuber with a low glycemic index
Select the correct code:

Accepted Answer

(a) A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1 — A matches 4 (Dioscorea balakrishnanii is the newly classified yam tuber). B matches 3 (Shola forests are the high-altitude evergreen forests of the Western Ghats). C matches 2 (Kattunayikar is the local indigenous tribe of Wayanad). D matches 1 (Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act protects such traditional crop knowledge).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The formal scientific classification of Dioscorea balakrishnanii aids in preventing the biopiracy of the 'chola kizhangu' tuber.
Reason (R): Documenting traditional ecological knowledge in scientific taxonomy and biodiversity registers establishes 'prior art' under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Select the correct answer from the codes below:

Accepted Answer

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. — Assertion (A) is true because formal scientific documentation protects the genetic resource from unauthorized commercial exploitation. Reason (R) is true and explains A because bringing a tribe's traditional knowledge into formal scientific literature establishes 'prior art'. This prevents foreign or corporate entities from patenting the resource without equitable benefit sharing, as mandated by the Biological Diversity Act.

New Edible Yam Species Discovered in Western Ghats

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