Question

Which experimental organism did Hugo de Vries use to formulate his Mutation Theory?

Options

• Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly)

• Pisum sativum (garden pea)

• Zea mays (maize)

• Oenothera lamarckiana (evening primrose)

Answer 1

De Vries observed the evening primrose (Oenothera lamarckiana) in a field near Amsterdam. He noticed sudden, large, inheritable variations appearing in this naturally breeding population, which formed the basis of his Mutation Theory.