LAMARCKIANISM Meaning and
Definition
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Lamarckianism is a biological and evolutionary theory associated with the early 19th century French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. It posits that organisms possess the ability to pass on acquired traits to their offspring. According to this concept, an individual organism can undergo physical and behavioral changes during its lifetime as a response to its environment. These acquired characteristics or traits are then believed to be inheritable and passed on to future generations.
The central idea of Lamarckianism is based on the principle of "use and disuse" and the concept of "inheritance of acquired characteristics." Lamarck argued that organisms modify their traits through use or non-use of specific body parts, and these modifications are incorporated into their genetic makeup, which is then transmitted to offspring. Therefore, in the Lamarckian view, the environment plays a significant role in driving evolutionary change, and individual organisms have the ability to actively shape their evolutionary destiny.
However, Lamarckianism has been largely discredited and replaced by the more widely accepted theory of evolution through natural selection proposed by Charles Darwin. The main criticism of Lamarckianism is the lack of empirical evidence and the failure to explain the mechanisms by which acquired traits are transmitted from one generation to another. While Lamarckianism represents an early attempt to understand evolution, it is considered outdated and incompatible with the modern understanding of genetics and inheritance.
Common Misspellings for LAMARCKIANISM
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Etymology of LAMARCKIANISM
The word "Lamarckianism" is derived from the name of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, a French biologist and naturalist who lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. The term refers to Lamarck's theories on evolution, which were outlined in his work "Philosophie Zoologique" published in 1809. Lamarck proposed the idea of the inheritance of acquired characteristics, suggesting that traits acquired or developed during an organism's lifetime could be passed on to future generations. This concept became known as "Lamarckism", and the term "Lamarckianism" emerged to describe his evolutionary theory.
