Evolution without Lamarck’s Theory and its Use in the Darwinian Theories of Evolution

Abstract

The first modern theory of evolution was put forward by Jean Baptist de Lamarck the inheritance of acquired structures/characters that transmits to the offspring. It has been recognized that the inheritance of acquired characters is not transmitted to the offspring. Hence Lamarck’s theory can hardly be accepted in the light of modern molecular genetics that available in the present century. Darwin directly accepted the Lamarck’s theory in ‘the Origin of Species’ (natural selection) under the heading ‘the effect of use and disuse’. He also uses Lamarck’s theory in ‘the Descent of Man in Relation to Sex ‘(sexual selection theory). Consequently, Darwin’s theory is less accepted by the most biologists. As a result they synthesize the modern synthetic theory of evolution (neo-Darwinism) as an alternate theory of natural selection and sexual selection.