Lamarckism: Lamarckism is an early theory of evolution proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1809. It is based on the idea that acquired characteristics can be inherited by offspring. For example, Lamarck believed that if a giraffe stretched its neck to reach leaves on high branches, its offspring would be born with longer necks. See also Evolution, Darwinism, Adaption._____________Annotation: The above characterizations of concepts are neither definitions nor exhausting presentations of problems related to them. Instead, they are intended to give a short introduction to the contributions below. – Lexicon of Arguments. |