3. Jean Baptiste Lamarck was one of the prominent scientists of the late 18th an

Question

3. Jean Baptiste Lamarck was one of the prominent scientists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He made many contributions to the advancement of science. He is most remembered, though, for one of his hypotheses that turned out to be unsupported by the evidence and thus rejected by most scientists. What was his explanation on how change occurred in organisms over time (i.e. what was his mechanism to explain evolution of species)? How does his hypothesis compare with the theory proposed by Darwin and Wallace? If Lamarck knew what we do today, how would he need to revise his theory or why may he see the errors in his interpretation of evolution? In what ways can we make the same mistakes as Lamarck when we try to explain how species have evolved? Be sure to give specific examples.

Explanation / Answer

Lamarkism is the first theory of evolution given by lammark,a French biologist .It is an hypothesis that states that organism can pass on characteristics that it has acquired during its life time to its offspring.It is also known as inheritance of acquired trait or soft inheritance.

Lamarks two factor theory involves -

1)A complexifying force that derives animal body plans towards higher levels (pathogenesis)creating a ladder of phyla and

2)an adaptive force that causes animals with a given body plan to adapt circumstances (use and disuse ,in inheritance of acquired characterstics )creating a diversity of species and genera.

Basically, Lamarck's theory postulates that traits acquired by organisms are inherited to their descendants : WhileDarwin's theory postulates that randomly acquired traits in organisms are selected by pressures in the environment. Lamarck didn't have the idea of Natural Selection.

Lamarks mistakes that we can also make while we try to explain how species evolved are -

Genes are not changed by the activities that an organism perform in his lifetime changes occurs by mutation of genes .

These mutations occurs before organism is born

Traits are passed on to next generation by help of genes.

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