Q114: Given below are two statements Statement (I): Genes such as... - Microbial Diversity and Ecology - Microbiology- ICAR JRF/SRF 2024 | Agrigyan

• Molecular Evolution Concepts in Microbial Ecology:
• Statement (I) is true: Orthologs are homologous genes in different species that evolved from a common ancestral gene via speciation and typically retain the same physiological function. Highly conserved housekeeping genes such as the small subunit ribosomal RNA (16S/18S rRNA) genes have accumulated nucleotide substitutions gradually over evolutionary time and serve as standard chronometers.
• Statement (II) is true: In environmental microbiology and metagenomics, organisms that share identical or nearly identical orthologous marker gene sequences (e.g., $\ge 97\%$ or $99\%$ 16S rRNA identity) are grouped into an operational taxonomic unit termed a phylotype.
• Conclusion: Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are true (Option 1).

Correct option: (1) Both Statement (I) and Statement (II) are true.