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Andrew Thompson Presentation

Jean Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) was a French biologist who proposed one of the first evolutionary theories. He argued that organisms adapt to their environments through the inheritance of acquired characteristics, such as a giraffe stretching its neck to reach leaves and passing on the longer neck to offspring. While his ideas were rejected in his lifetime, Lamarck made early contributions to the study of epigenetics and helped lay the foundations for modern evolutionary theory.

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69 views11 pages

Andrew Thompson Presentation

Jean Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) was a French biologist who proposed one of the first evolutionary theories. He argued that organisms adapt to their environments through the inheritance of acquired characteristics, such as a giraffe stretching its neck to reach leaves and passing on the longer neck to offspring. While his ideas were rejected in his lifetime, Lamarck made early contributions to the study of epigenetics and helped lay the foundations for modern evolutionary theory.

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Jean Baptiste Lamarck

By: Andrew Thompson

photograph

Time period
Born: August 1,1744
Died: December 18,1829
In 1793 he became one of the founding
professors of the Musee National dHistoire
Naturelle as an expert on invertebrates.

His Theory
The Modern Evolution Theory
He argued life is not fixed. When enviroments change the
organisms have to change their behavior to suvive. If a
giraffe stretched its neck for leaves for an example
nervous fluid would flow throught its neck and make it
longer. Its offspring would inherit the longer neck, and
continued stretching would make it longer over
generations.

Major world event during this period


1800:
Napoleon marches into Austria.
First use of the white house.
1801:
Tsar Paul 1 was assassinated.
The battle of Copenhagen.
1803:
Louisiana Purchase.
Ohio becomes 17th state in the union.

Evidence used for his contribution


Lamarcks reputation has been somewhat improved- at
least in the eyes of some modern bioligists. he began a
new research called epigenetics which is the study of
gene expression independent of dna mutations. Lab
animals have offered up evidence. Underfeed a rat, and it
will give birth to undersized pups. Feed those pups well,
and they will, like their malnourished mother, still give
birth to puny pups.

Available technology during that period


Isaac Holden produces a form of friction match.
Dr. Benjamin Guy makes the first known use of the
laryngoscope.
Cyrill Demian patents a version of the accordion.
Louis Braille publishes the first description of his method
embossed printing that allows the visually impaired to read.

Dates of discovery
In 1801 he proposed a full blown theory of evolution.
When the museum national dhistoire naturelle was
founded in 1793 he was appointed the professor of
zoology.
Lamarck became involved in jardin de plantes and was
appointed to the chair of Botany in 1788.

Publications
In 1801 he published Systeme des animaux
sans vertebres.

Acceptance of viewpoints
Lamarcks scientific theories were largely ignored Or
attacked during his lifetime.
Lamarck never won the acceptance and esteem of his
colleages Buffon and Cuvier.
He died in poverty and obscurity.

How does his theory contribute to the current one


He is most famous for today for the two mechanisms he
proposed. As organisms adapted to their surroundings
nature drove them upward from simple forms to complex.
He also believed that life begun through spontaneous
generation.

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