Meaning of LAMARCKISM
| Pronunciation: | | lu'mârkizum
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 WordNet Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | [n] a theory of organic evolution claiming that acquired characteristics are transmitted to offspring |
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| | See Also: | | Neo-Lamarckism, theory of evolution, theory of organic evolution | |
| Webster's 1913 Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | \La"marck"ism\, n. [From Lamarck, a distinguished
French naturalist.] (Biol.)
The theory that structural variations, characteristic of
species and genera, are produced in animals and plants by the
direct influence of physical environments, and esp., in the
case of animals, by effort, or by use or disuse of certain
organs.
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| Biology Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | The obsolete theory that offspring can inherit physical or behavioral characteristics from a parent that the parent acquired during its life. For example, a giraffe which stretches its neck to reach leaves at the top of a tall tree and thus ends up with a slightly longer neck can pass on the long neck trait so that its offspring also have long necks and can stretch it even longer. The theory, now known to be incorrect, was popularized by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) and played an important role in the history of the study of evolutionary biology. |
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