Given below are two statements.

Statement I : Branching descent and natural selection are the two key concepts of the Darwinian theory of evolution.
Statement II : Darwin said that the evolution of life forms had occurred due to saltations.

In light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below.

Statement I is correct. Darwin's theory of evolution indeed emphasizes branching descent (the idea that species evolve from common ancestors and form a branching tree of life) and natural selection (the process by which favorable traits become more common in a population due to differential survival and reproduction).

Statement II is incorrect. Darwin did not propose that evolution occurs through "saltations" (sudden jumps). Instead, Darwin's theory is based on gradual changes over time. The concept of saltation, or sudden large changes, was associated with other evolutionary theories, such as those proposed by deVries.