Question

Describe the drawbacks of Lamarckism.

Answer 1

1. No evidence for internal vital force: There is no scientific evidence to support the existence of an internal vital force.
2. Use and disuse: Use and disuse of organs cannot explain all evolutionary changes.
3. Inheritance of acquired characters: Acquired characters developed during the lifetime of an organism are generally not inherited by the next generation.
4. Weismann’s experiment: Weismann cut the tails of mice for several generations, but their offspring continued to develop normal tails. This did not support the inheritance of acquired characters.
5. Role of genes: Lamarckism does not explain the role of genes, mutations and genetic variations in evolution.