1. LAMARCKIAN EVOLUTION
© 2016 Paul Billiet ODWS

2. Jean Baptiste LAMARCK 1744 – 1829
Lamarck rejected fixity
He proposed a theory of evolution which is attractive but it was eventually rejected because of the way inheritance works
Lamarck
© 2016 Paul Billiet ODWS

3. Adaptation and specialisation
Lamarck noticed that organisms adapted to a particular niche had well developed specialised organs
For example a carnivore will have long canine teeth to grip its prey
© 2016 Paul Billiet ODWS

4. vestigial organs Small non-functional organs (vestigial organs)
e.g. the appendix in humans, the internal hind limbs of whales and the internal legs of some species of snakes
Comparative anatomy showed that these organs resembled those which were much more developed, with particular functions, in other species
© 2016 Paul Billiet ODWS

5. The Law of Use and Disuse
He proposed that if an organ is used a lot it will develop and strengthen
If it is not used it will atrophy
He called this the law of use and disuse
© 2016 Paul Billiet ODWS

6. The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics
if an organism developed a characteristic feature through adapting to a new way of life during its lifetime, it would pass this on to its offspring
The classic example given is that of the giraffe’s neck
As the giraffe’s ancestors searched for a richer food supply they stretched to reach higher branches in trees
Thus their stretched bodies were passed onto their offspring
© 2016 Paul Billiet ODWS

7. Lamarck v Darwin
Lamarck’s theory required adaptation to create new variations
This was followed by the inheritance of these characteristics
Darwin’s theory requires random hereditary variation first, followed by selection of the variations
The argument was over when Mendel’s laws of genetics were rediscovered at the end of the 19th century
Variations are due to hereditary traits passing from one generation to the next in predictable frequencies
© 2016 Paul Billiet ODWS

8. Disproving Lamarck
Characteristics acquired during the lifetime of a parent are not passed onto the offspring
An athlete who develops a large muscle mass through training does not have children who already possess this large muscle mass
Ernst Haeckel In an attempt to disprove Lamarckism he is said to have cut off the tails of mice for several generations
The babies born from this line of tailless mice still grew tails as long as their ancestors
This was not exactly a fair test as the mice had not stopped using their tails in an attempt to adapt to their environment
They still found their tails useful
© 2016 Paul Billiet ODWS

9. Lamarckism in evolution theory today
Behaviour can be different
Some behaviour patterns are innate and will also evolve in by natural selection
learned behaviour patterns can be changed within a generation
Members of a social group who have acquired the behaviour in their lifetimes will pass these learned skills onto others including their children
This pattern of evolution resembles the Lamarckian pattern
The evolution of learnt behaviour is much faster than genetic evolution and it plays an important role in human cultural evolution
© 2016 Paul Billiet ODWS