Two closely related species can co-exist indefinitely and violate the Gause’s ‘Competitive Exclusion Principle’ by:

The correct option is resource partitioning.

To understand why this is correct, let us break down the concepts step-by-step:
1. Gause's Competitive Exclusion Principle: This principle states that two closely related species competing for the same limiting resources cannot coexist indefinitely. The species that is ecologically superior or has even a slight competitive advantage will eventually eliminate the other.
2. The Niche Concept: For coexistence to occur, species must occupy different ecological niches. If two species share the exact same niche (requiring the same food, space, and active times), competitive exclusion is inevitable.

3. What is Resource Partitioning? Resource partitioning is an evolutionary mechanism where co-existing species avoid direct competition by sharing resources. Instead of competing for the exact same pool of resources, they divide them. This division can occur in several ways:
- Temporal Partitioning: Feeding or hunting at different times of the day or night.
- Spatial Partitioning: Utilizing different parts of a shared habitat (for example, different species of birds feeding at different heights of the same tree canopy).
- Morphological Adaptation: Developing physical differences (like beak sizes) to target different sizes or types of food.

4. Overcoming Competitive Exclusion: By partitioning resources, the overlapping demand for the same limiting resource is significantly reduced. This minimizes competitive pressure, permitting both closely related species to coexist stably and indefinitely in the same community, thereby bypassing Gause's principle.