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Key point to Lamarck's view about organic evolution is that every offspring

Correct answer: B. Inherits characters acquired by the parental generation

  • A. Is similar to its parents
  • B. Inherits characters acquired by the parental generation
  • C. Shows struggle for existence
  • D. Repeats phylogeny in its ontogeny
  • E. None of these

Explanation

Lamarck's theory of organic evolution is centered on the idea that characteristics acquired during an organism's lifetime can be passed on to its offspring. This notion of 'inheritance of acquired characteristics' was Lamarck's key contribution to evolutionary thought. However, modern genetics, based on Mendelian principles and the role of DNA, does not support the inheritance of traits acquired during a parent's lifetime. Instead, genetic traits are passed down through DNA. The incorrect options either describe general truths about offspring or relate to concepts from other evolutionary theories, such as Darwin's natural selection or Haeckel's recapitulation theory.

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About Evolution

Evolution describes heritable change in populations over generations through variation, natural selection and adaptation. Lamarckism explains inheritance of acquired characteristics, while Darwinism explains selection of favourable inherited variations; these historical explanations must not be confused with the modern genetic account of evolutionary change.

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