Jean-Baptiste Lamarck hypothesized that changes acquired during the lifetime of an individual organism, as a result of adapting to its environment, are passed on to progeny. Why was this incorrect but still important?
A) Acquired traits are heritable, but not part of the genetic makeup of the organisms. Lamarck's idea was important because he was the first to propose a process for evolutionary change.
B) Acquired traits are not heritable, but Lamarck's idea was important because he verified Darwin's process of natural selection.
C) Acquired traits are not heritable, but Lamarck's idea was important because he was the first to propose a process for evolutionary change.
D) Acquired traits are heritable, and Lamarck's idea was important because he proved Darwin's idea of variational evolution was incorrect.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Lamarck's hypothesis that acquired traits are passed on to progeny has been largely disproved by modern genetics. However, his idea was important because it was the first proposal of a mechanism for evolutionary change, paving the way for Darwin's theory of natural selection.

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Hypothesized That Changes Acquired During the Lifetime of an Individual