Question

Describe Lamarckism.

Answer 1

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744–1829), a French biologist, proposed Lamarckism. In his book Philosophie Zoologique (1809), he proposed the first theory of evolution based on the inheritance of acquired characters. According to his theory, organisms are not fixed but evolve from pre-existing organisms through gradual modifications. The theory is based on an internal vital force, environmental effects, new needs, the use and disuse of organs, and the inheritance of acquired characters. According to Lamarck, acquired characters developed during an organism's lifetime are passed on to the next generation. Over generations, the accumulation of these acquired characters results in the formation of new species.