Question

State whether the following statement is true or false.

Abrupt hereditary changes (first described by Hugo de Vries) are called mutations.

Answer 1

This statement is true.

Explanation:

 Abrupt hereditary changes that are sudden, large, and inheritable were first described by Hugo de Vries based on his studies on evening primrose (Oenothera lamarckiana). He called these sudden variations “mutants,” and the changes themselves “mutations.” These mutations appear suddenly and can be passed on to offspring, providing raw material for evolution, different from small gradual variations proposed by Darwin. This concept is known as the mutation theory of evolution.