Question

What were the reasons for discarding the idea of fixity of species?

Answer 1

Hint: Fixity of a species is the ability of species to remain fixed during a period of time. There were many reasons for discarding it.

Complete Answer:
- The idea of fixity of species was first discovered by the Scientist Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, chevalier de Lamarck whose book was popularly known as Philosophie zoologique.
- He gave many theories regarding the evolution of life and the fixity of species is one of them. Fixity of a species is defined as the ability of one species that remains unchanged over a long period of time.
- According to his theory, if evolution takes place the species will not change according to that. Once it is created, it remains the same. But this theory was rejected or discarded by several other scientists.
- According to them, during evolution many changes occur in organisms or in its body. When inheritance takes place, new characters come and are transferred into their next generation.
- As a result new varieties are found in new offsprings. And they do not remain the same as their ancestors. Sometimes not only evolution, mutations play a key role in changing a species.
- And they evolved because of mutation. Every species is dynamic in nature and does not possess specificity.

Hence because of dynamic nature and specificity, the idea of fixity of species is discarded.

Note: Many theories regarding evolution were described by several scientists and the one which is accepted by all is Darwin’s theory of evolution.