Step 1: Concept
Gause's Competitive Exclusion Principle in ecology.
Step 2: Meaning
Gause's principle states that two species competing for identical limiting resources cannot coexist indefinitely; the competitively superior one will eventually exclude the other.
Step 3: Analysis
The assertion is a correct statement of Gause's principle. The reason is also true, as species facing competition often adapt through "resource partitioning" to coexist by utilizing different niches or resources. However, resource partitioning is an *adaptation* that allows coexistence, rather than the mechanism that explains *why* competitive exclusion occurs in the first place.
Step 4: Conclusion
Since both statements are factually correct but (R) describes an alternative outcome/adaptation rather than the direct cause of the exclusion described in (A), (B) is the correct choice.
Final Answer: (B)