he thought that an animal gained traits over its life, for example by stretching its neck it gained a longer neck. it was then able to pass on these traits to its offspring. he was wrong.
Lamarck proposed that by selective use or disuse of organs, organisms acquired or lost certain traits during their lifetime. Then passed onto offspring-leading to change in species
Darwin and Lamarck had fundamentally different views on how species change over time. Lamarck proposed that organisms could acquire traits during their lifetime and pass those traits to their offspring, a process known as inheritance of acquired characteristics. In contrast, Darwin introduced the theory of natural selection, suggesting that individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, leading to gradual changes in species over generations. Thus, while Lamarck emphasized individual effort and adaptation, Darwin focused on environmental pressures and genetic variation.
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck suggested an idea that Darwin would later expand upon. Lamarck suggested that any changes a creature underwent during its lifetime would be passed down to the offspring. He also believed unused parts would just go away over time, due to this.
Lamarck proposed that by selective use and disuse of organs, organisms acquired or lost certain traits during their lifetime. These traits could then be passed on to their offspring. Over time, this led to a change in species
he sugested that organisms could change during their lifetimesby selectively using or not using various parts of ther bodies. he also suggested that individuals could pass the acquired traits on to their offspring enabling species to change over time...that is how Lamarck paved the way for future biologists
This statement is incorrect. Inheritance of acquired traits, as proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, is not a valid mechanism for evolution. Evolution occurs through natural selection acting on genetic variations already present in a population, not through the direct inheritance of acquired characteristics.
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck proposed that species change over time through the mechanisms of use and disuse and the inheritance of acquired characteristics. He believed that traits that were used frequently would become stronger and more developed, while those that were not used would diminish. These acquired traits could then be passed on to the next generation, leading to gradual changes in a species. Although Lamarck's ideas were eventually overshadowed by Darwin's theory of natural selection, his thoughts on evolution were foundational in the study of biology.
Lamarck's theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics influenced Darwin by introducing the idea that organisms could change over time in response to their environment. Although Darwin ultimately rejected Lamarck's mechanisms, he was inspired by the concept of adaptation and the idea that species are not fixed. This led him to explore natural selection as a more robust explanation for how species evolve and adapt. Thus, while Darwin diverged from Lamarckism, he acknowledged its role in shaping his thoughts on evolution.
Lamarck and Darwin both agreed on the idea that organisms change over time and that these changes can lead to the evolution of new species. They recognized the influence of the environment on the traits of organisms, suggesting that adaptations can arise in response to environmental pressures. Additionally, both scientists acknowledged the importance of variation within species, although they differed significantly in their explanations of how these changes occur.
That they were both transformationists, a word the meant in those days one thought organisms evolved over time, and thought species arose by natural processes. The mechanisms proposed by them varied a great deal though.
Darwin and Lamarck had fundamentally different views on how species change over time. Lamarck proposed that organisms could acquire traits during their lifetime and pass those traits to their offspring, a process known as inheritance of acquired characteristics. In contrast, Darwin introduced the theory of natural selection, suggesting that species evolve through the differential survival and reproduction of individuals based on heritable traits that confer advantages in a given environment. This marked a significant shift toward understanding evolution as a gradual process driven by natural mechanisms rather than intentional adaptations.
Both Lamarck's theory of inheritance of acquired traits and Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection were important because they laid the foundation for understanding how species change over time. Lamarck proposed that organisms could acquire traits during their lifetime and pass them on to their offspring, while Darwin's theory explained how species adapt to their environment through a process of natural selection. These theories revolutionized the field of biology and continue to influence our understanding of the diversity of life on Earth.