Question

Who was the first to explain recapitulation theory?
A)Weismann
B)Muller and Haeckel
C)Darwin
D)Malthus

Answer 1

Hint: It was a hypothesis that linked embryology with evolution. The hypothesis suggested that organisms go through developmental stages until they are born, which look as adult animals in other species, in about the same order that these species break during evolution.

Complete answer:
First we should know about recapitulation theory to answer this question. The principle of recapitulation is often referred to as phylogeny recapitulated by ontogeny. This concept was first suggested by Etienne Serres in 1824–26. In 1886, Ernst Haekel proposed that an organism's embryonic development took the same direction as its species' evolutionary past. That is often referred to as biogenetic legislation or embryological parallelism.

Now, let us find the solution from the options-
1.The theory of germ-plasm consistency, a theory of heredity, was suggested by Weismann. Weismann asserted that the genetic substance in cells was germ-plasm, and parents transferred only the germ-plasm found in germ cells instead of somatic or body cells to their offspring. Thus, option A is the incorrect option.

2.The recapitulation principle, also referred to as the biogenetic law or embryological parallelism frequently articulated in the term "ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" by Ernst Haeckel, is a widely discredited biological concept that animals get through the stages resembling or describing sequential stages in the evolution of their distant ancestors while evolving from embryo to adult. Although embryonic stage examples show that molecular characteristics of ancestral species exist, the recapitulation hypothesis itself has been regarded as a historical side-note instead of a dogma inside the field of applied biology.
3.The principle of evolution through natural selection, first proposed in Darwin's 1859 book "On the Origin of Species" is the mechanism through which as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral characteristics, organisms evolve over time. Thus, option C is not the correct option.

The hypothesis of accelerated population and arithmetic food supply growth is the Malthusian Population Theory. Thomas Robert Malthus suggested the principle. He assumed that it was possible to create a balance between population development and food availability by preventive and optimistic controls.

Hence, the correct answer is option (D)

Note: The idea that contemporary biologists oppose the literal version of the recapitulation theory has often been used by creationists as a justification against evolution. The statement is: "Haeckel's theory was viewed as supporting proof of evolution, Haeckel's theory is wrong, hence evolution has less strength"