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Difficulty: MediumLamarck's Theory of Evolution

Which of the following statements correctly summarizes Jean-Baptiste Lamarck's explanation for how structural adaptations arise and are preserved in a species over successive generations?

  1. Environmentally induced somatic modifications acquired by an individual through use or disuse are directly transmitted to its progeny.Answer
  2. B
    Pre-existing genetic variations within a population confer selective advantages, resulting in differential reproductive success.
  3. C
    Spontaneous gene mutations occur in response to environmental demands to create new organs whenever needed.
  4. D
    Germline mutations accumulate over time, independent of environmental influence, leading to gradual speciation.

Answer

Environmentally induced somatic modifications acquired by an individual through use or disuse are directly transmitted to its progeny.
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck hypothesized that changes acquired by an organism during its lifetime through the use or disuse of structures are inherited directly by its offspring, leading to evolutionary change over generations.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze Lamarck's core evolutionary principles.
Lamarck proposed two primary laws: the Law of Use and Disuse, and the Law of Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics.
Understanding Lamarckism requires identifying that acquired somatic changes were believed to be passed to subsequent generations.
2
Differentiate Lamarckian mechanisms from Darwinian natural selection and modern genetics.
Lamarckism claims environment directly causes phenotypic changes in somatic cells that are inherited, whereas natural selection acts on pre-existing genetic variation.
Distractors confuse Lamarckian acquired inheritance with Darwinian selection and genetic mutations.

Key Concept

Lamarck's Theory of Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics
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Topics

Lamarck's Theory of Evolution

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