A random mutation in a gene can alter its function and bring about a new characteristic that can pass down for many generations, but this may not be the only way that organisms can inherit a trait.

Before Charles Darwin, the leading evolutionary theorist was Jean-Baptise Lamarck, who believed organisms acquired traits over their lifetimes that they then passed onto their children. This theory ...

Although the name "Lamarck" is now associated with a discredited view of evolution, the French biologist's notion that organisms inherit the traits acquired during their parents' lifetime had common ...

If there is an afterlife, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck has had a roller-coaster of a ride. His life went well enough at first, defined early by honors gained on the battlefield and in the lab. Lamarck was a ...

Ever wonder how in the world flamingoes grow into pink adults from white chicks? Why your grandparents buy bags of lime to grow their signature pink hydrangeas? Why are most calico cats female? Why do ...

Today we know Charles Darwin as the father of the theory of evolution, but Darwin's wasn't the first theory of evolution. Before Darwin, a man named Jean-Baptiste Lamarck had a different idea about ...

Prior to Charles Darwin, many scholars, including Darwin’s grandfather Erasmus Darwin, believed that organisms evolved over time, becoming more complex and better suited to their environment. But the ...

If you took a high school biology class, you’re probably familiar with Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s theory of evolution and its emphasis on the “inheritance of acquired characteristics” — think giraffes ...

Charles Darwin close Charles DarwinAn English naturalist (1809-1882). In 1859 Darwin published On the Origin of Species, which outlined his theory of evolution. is recognised as the scientist most ...

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) formulated the first real theory of biological evolution, in which organisms acquired traits directly from adapting to the environments they faced and passed those ...

Although the name "Lamarck" is now associated with a discredited view of evolution, the French biologist's notion that organisms inherit the traits acquired during their parents' lifetime had common ...