Pros and cons of Lamarck's theory of species evolution

The theory of Jean Baptiste Lamarck on the evolution of species was formulated by a scientist at the very beginning of the XIX century. Lamarck set forth his views on the improvement of species in his work Philosophy of Zoology, which was never recognized by contemporaries. The pros and cons of Lamarck's theory began to be studied much later. However, this was the first integral evolutionary theory, and, of course, it had its own advantages and disadvantages. Consider the pros and cons of Lamarck's theory, as well as its main aspects.

Theory content

The essence of the theory of Lamarck can be described by the following theses:

1. If a particular organ is often used by the body, then it develops.
2. If a certain organ does not perform useful functions in the environment of the organism, it gradually dies.
3. Useful acquired traits are inherited by the offspring of the body.

Criticism

Consider the pros and cons of the Lamarck theory. The pluses, of course, include:

1. The correct scientific substantiation of the fact of the evolution of species. He was the first to speak that evolution is a law of nature and that all species are subject to certain changes.
2. The relationship of the variability of organisms with the influence of external factors.
3. The theory put forward by Lamarck that existing complex species occurred as a result of evolution from simpler ones, was confirmed.

Minuses:

1. In his theory of “pursuit of excellence,” Lamarck suggested that traits acquired by the body are inherited by its offspring. As a result of further research, it was found that the inheritance of acquired traits is a much more complex and ambiguous process.
2. Lamarck presented evolution as a continuous and uniformly proceeding process, although jumps and pauses are characteristic of it.
3. Incorrect understanding of the structure of a living organism. Lamarck assigned a key role in the functioning of matter to the influence of external factors. He considered a living organism exclusively as a mechanism working under the influence of environmental factors, which is absolutely not true.

These are the main pros and cons of the Lamarck theory.

Contemporaries reaction

Lamarck's theory did not gain popularity among his contemporaries. Even Charles Darwin considered the scientist's views to be pseudoscientific nonsense.

The evolutionary theory of Lamarck, the pros and cons of this theory, were again studied in detail only at the beginning of the twentieth century. His theory of the inheritance of acquired characteristics generated controversy in scientific works, and became the starting point for Weisman's famous experiments related to heredity.