According to Lamarck, the evolution of long necks in giraffes is explained by:
Correct answer: D. Stretching of necks over generations
- A. Natural selection
- B. Genetic mutation
- C. Survival of the fittest
- D. Stretching of necks over generations
Explanation
In Lamarck's account each giraffe stretched to reach higher leaves, its neck lengthened a little during its own life, and that gain was passed to its offspring. Darwin's explanation instead starts from neck length varying at birth and lets the environment select among those variations, which is what the first and third options describe. This single example is the standard way of contrasting the two theories.
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About Lamarckism
Lamarckism explains evolution through environmental influence, use and disuse of organs, and the inheritance of acquired characteristics. It differs from Darwinian natural selection because Lamarck proposed that organisms develop useful traits during their lifetime and pass them on, a view not supported by modern genetics.
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