Definition of lamarckism Lamarckism

La•marck•ism

We found 7 definitions of lamarckism from 7 different sources.

What does lamarckism mean?

WordNet

Noun
lamarckism - a theory of organic evolution claiming that acquired characteristics are transmitted to offspring
		evolutionism, theory of evolution, theory of organic evolution (biology) a scientific theory of the origin of species of plants and animals

= synonym
= antonym
= related word

Wiktionary

lamarckism (Noun)
The theory that structural variations, characteristic of species and genera, are produced in animals and plants by the direct influence of physical environments, and especially, in the case of animals, by effort, or by use or disuse of certain organs.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

lamarckism (n.)
The theory that structural variations, characteristic of species and genera, are produced in animals and plants by the direct influence of physical environments, and esp., in the case of animals, by effort, or by use or disuse of certain organs.

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

lamarckism
The theory that structural variations, characteristic of species and genera, are produced in animals and plants by the direct influence of physical environments, and especially, in the case of animals, by effort, or by use or disuse of certain organs.

Chambers DictionaryChamber's 20th Century Dictionary 📕

lamarckism
la-mär′kizm, n. the theory of the French naturalist, J. B. P. A. de Monet de Lamarck (1744-1829), that species have developed by the efforts of organisms to adapt themselves to new conditions—also Lamarck′ianism.—-adj. Lamarck′ian

Wikipedia

Lamarckism (also called Lamarckian evolution) is a theory of evolution. Evolution tries to explain how species change over time. Today, the most accepted theory of evolution was developed by Charles Darwin.

Lamarckism was developed by Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck. He based his ideas on those of Erasmus Darwin. Lamarckism says that indiviuals do not only pass on the things they received form their parents, but also all those things that they learned during their lifetime. As an example, he cited the giraffes. Giraffes have a long neck because their parents needed to strech their neck a lot. Therefore, the children have longer necks.

Lamarck therefore says that evolution is oriented towards a goal; it is not just random as Darwin claims.

Gregor Mendel found some rules to explain inheritance. These rules are known as Mendelian inheritance today. They also disproved Lamarck.

Lamarck's theory.

The identification of "Lamarckism" with the inheritance of acquired characteristics is regarded by some as an artifact of the subsequent history of evolutionary thought, repeated in textbooks without analysis. Stephen Jay Gould wrote that late 19th century evolutionists "re-read Lamarck, cast aside the guts of it... and elevated one aspect of the mechanics - inheritance of acquired characters - to a central focus it never had for Lamarck himself"." He argued that "the restriction of "Lamarckism" to this relatively small and non-distinctive corner of Lamarck's thought must be labelled as more tha