Both Lamarck and Darwin contributed significantly to the understanding of evolution, emphasizing the adaptation of species to their environments. They recognized that organisms change over time, although their mechanisms differed: Lamarck proposed the inheritance of acquired characteristics, while Darwin introduced natural selection as the primary driver of evolution. Both theories acknowledge the importance of environmental influences on species, highlighting a shared interest in how life evolves. Ultimately, while their explanations diverged, they both sought to explain the diversity of life on Earth.
Lamarck's theory of evolution proposed that traits acquired during the lifetime of the parent were genetically passed on to children. Some animal might, according to Lamarck's theory, learn a novel way of obtaining food, and then its children would be born with this novel mechanism already in place. Darwin, contrarily, proposed that lineages evolved new traits though natural selection: by the elimination of lineages that do *not* possess a certain trait.
Lamarck led the way for and had ideas that helped Darwin. However, his observations regarding the mechanisms of evolution were, with the exception of one, totally backwards. To summarize Lamarck, he hypothesized that organisms somehow had a choice in their traits and could change to fit the environment (he called these ideas his theories of need and his theory of use and disuse). The part he was correct on was that should an organism change, they would pass the traits on to their offspring. Darwin said, basically, the opposite. Darwin observed that organisms were born with slight differences (variations) and those variations might give some members of a species an advantage in the struggle to survive in the environment. The reward for survival was that the organism got to reproduce and pass those traits on to their offspring. Of course, the offspring might show some variation and the whole process would continue to repeat. However, the bottom line with Darwin (and contrary to Lamarck) was that an organism had no choice in its traits as an organism is born with or without the advantage. Darwin, without knowing its mechanisms, recognized that genetics played a part in evolution. Darwin died not knowing of Mendel's work on genetics which, of course, substantiates Darwin's theory.
Lamarck's Hypothesis of Evolution(Small note before answer: Lamarck had a hypothesis, not a theory) Lamarck, as well as other naturalists, hypothesized evolution via environmental change before Darwin. However, many failed to account for changes in the fossil record and interactions of the phenotypes of animals on their environment. Despite Lamarck's advances in the field, he is most remembered in history for the incorrect mechanisms of this evolution that he posited.Lamarck's hypothesis of evolution appeared in his Zoological Philosophical Work written in 1809, featuring two mechanisms of evolutionary change: use and disuse and inheritance of acquired characteristics.His evolutionary hypothesis was as follows:Environmental changes generate new needsThese needs determine the use or disuse of some organsSuch organs develop or are diminishedThe acquired characters are hereditary
Actually, it was Lamarck who earlier introduced the giraffe as an example for evolution - Lamarckian evolution, to be sure. Lamarck proposed that there was some mechanism by which the short-necked ancestors of giraffes could acquire a change such that their offspring would have necks better suited to their needs. Darwin applied natural selection to the same example mainly because it had already been discussed in such detail.
Initially, Darwin's theory of evolution faced resistance and skepticism from some quarters, particularly from religious groups and scientists who supported creationism. However, over time, as more evidence accumulated in support of evolution through natural selection, the scientific community largely accepted Darwin's theory as the foundation of modern biology. Today, the theory of evolution is widely accepted among scientists and the majority of the general public.
He didn't. Lamark's theory of acquired characteristics preceded Darwin's theory by some years. Almost 50 years.
Some scientists and researchers who influenced Charles Darwin include Thomas Malthus, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, and John Gould. Malthus's theories on population dynamics and resources helped shape Darwin's ideas on natural selection. Lamarck's proposal of the inheritance of acquired traits also impacted Darwin's thinking. John Gould's work on the Galapagos finches provided Darwin with important evidence for his theory of evolution.
Lamarck's theory of evolution proposed that traits acquired during the lifetime of the parent were genetically passed on to children. Some animal might, according to Lamarck's theory, learn a novel way of obtaining food, and then its children would be born with this novel mechanism already in place. Darwin, contrarily, proposed that lineages evolved new traits though natural selection: by the elimination of lineages that do *not* possess a certain trait.
Darwin's theory was that beneficial traits would be favored in a population by a mechanism called natural selection. Lamarck proposed that acquired traits would be passed on to the offspring. Darwin's theory is favored over Lamarck's because there is no identified mechanism for passing on acquired traits e.g., your baby will not be born with pierced ears even though yours are pierced. In Darwin's theory, the traits that are favorable for an organism offer some adaptive advantage to those members of the population that possess it. Having the advantage allows them to produce more offspring e.g., rabbits range in color from black to white--in a snowy environment, the white ones have the advantage over the darker ones so they breed, well, like rabbits.
Lamarck would have said that the ancestors of modern-day giraffes had short necks but stretched their necks as they tried to reach leaves in trees; so, their descendants were born with longer necks. Darwin would have said that in a population of ancestral giraffes, some had slightly longer necks than others; the long-necked giraffes were better able to feed on tree leaves and as a result produced more offspring. Over time, the proportion of longnecked giraffes in the population increased.
There is only one central "theory of evolution", which is the theory of evolution by natural selection that Charles Darwin pioneered. There have been different theories in the past - such as Jean-baptise Lamarck's theory of acquired traits - but these lost their status of scientific theory when they were shown to be wrong.
Lamarck's theory cannot be true since characteristics of an organism are determined by its DNA and also over time how this is expressed through the epigenetic code. This theory is wrong.
Lamarck led the way for and had ideas that helped Darwin. However, his observations regarding the mechanisms of evolution were, with the exception of one, totally backwards. To summarize Lamarck, he hypothesized that organisms somehow had a choice in their traits and could change to fit the environment (he called these ideas his theories of need and his theory of use and disuse). The part he was correct on was that should an organism change, they would pass the traits on to their offspring. Darwin said, basically, the opposite. Darwin observed that organisms were born with slight differences (variations) and those variations might give some members of a species an advantage in the struggle to survive in the environment. The reward for survival was that the organism got to reproduce and pass those traits on to their offspring. Of course, the offspring might show some variation and the whole process would continue to repeat. However, the bottom line with Darwin (and contrary to Lamarck) was that an organism had no choice in its traits as an organism is born with or without the advantage. Darwin, without knowing its mechanisms, recognized that genetics played a part in evolution. Darwin died not knowing of Mendel's work on genetics which, of course, substantiates Darwin's theory.
Spencer's theory of social evolution focused on the idea of survival of the fittest and that individuals and societies evolve through competition. Darwin's theory of natural selection, on the other hand, specifically applied to biological evolution, explaining how species evolve and adapt to their environment through genetic variations. While both theories share some similarities, Spencer's theory is more generalized and applied to social and cultural aspects, while Darwin's theory is based on biological principles.
scientist whose ideas about evolution were the same as Darwin's- Wallace geologist who influenced Darwin- Lyell geologist who influenced Darwin- Hutton scientist whose ideas about evolution and adaptation influenced Darwin- Lamarck economist whose ideas about human population influenced Darwin-Malthus
Some key theories of organic evolution include Darwin's theory of natural selection, which proposes that organisms with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce; Lamarck's theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics, which suggests that traits acquired during an individual's lifetime can be passed on to offspring; and the modern synthesis, which combines Darwin's theory with genetics to explain how populations change over time through mechanisms like mutations, genetic drift, and gene flow.
While some critics challenge specific aspects of Darwin's theory of evolution, such as the mechanisms of random mutation and natural selection, the overwhelming evidence from fields like paleontology, comparative anatomy, and genetics supports the core principles of evolutionary theory. These fields provide a robust framework that explains the diversity of life on Earth and the patterns of similarities and differences among species.