Question

Which of the following is not an important element of Darwin’s theory of evolution?

Options

• Inheritance of acquired traits

• All organisms arose from a common ancestor

• Presence of variation within a population of individuals

• Natural selection

Answer 1

Inheritance of acquired traits

Explanation:

Inheritance of acquired traits is not an important element of Darwin's theory of evolution. This idea was proposed by Lamarck, who suggested that traits acquired during an organism's lifetime could be passed on to offspring. Darwin's theory of evolution mainly includes:

• All organisms arising from a common ancestor,
• The presence of variation within a population of individuals, and
• Natural selection acting on these variations to favor those best adapted to the environment.