The Evolution of Lamarck (often spelled Lamarck) refers to Lamarckism, the first fully formed theory of biological evolution. Formulated by French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1809, this theory proposed that organisms change physically during their lifetime to adapt to their environments and then pass those exact changes onto their offspring.
While modern science has fundamentally rejected his primary mechanism of inheritance in favor of Darwinian natural selection, Lamarck is historically credited with putting evolution on the map and establishing that life changes via natural processes. The Two Core Principles of Lamarckism
Lamarck’s framework relied on two interconnected forces to explain how species transform over time:
The Law of Use and Disuse: Organisms develop specific traits based on how much they use or ignore an organ. Frequent use strengthens and enlarges an organ, while disuse causes it to shrink, weaken, or disappear entirely.
The Inheritance of Acquired Characteristics: Physical changes an individual accumulates during its lifespan are passed directly to its children. The Classic Evolutionary Examples
Lamarck illustrated his theory with a few specific real-world observations: Early Concepts of Evolution: Jean Baptiste Lamarck
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