Question

The book “Philosophie Zoologique” was written by
(a) Lamarck
(b) Mendel
(c) Haeckel
(d) Hugo de Vries

Answer 1

Hint: The book outlined the pre-Darwinian theory of evolution. It was written by the scientist who is known for the theory that an organism can pass on to its offspring the physical characteristics that it developed in its lifetime by use or disuse of organs.

Complete answer:
The book Philosophie Zoologique or Exposition with Regard to the Natural History of Animals was published in 1809 by the French naturalist Jean- Baptiste Lamarck. The book outlines the pre- Darwinian theory of evolution, part of which is known as Lamarckism now.
Two laws were stated in this book that supposedly enables animal species to acquire characteristics under the influence of the environment.
- The first law states that the use or disuse of organs would cause the body structures to grow or shrink over the generations. - The second law states that any such physical characteristics that are acquired would be inherited by the offspring. - Together these conditions imply that species continuously change and adapt to their environments, which forms a branching series of evolutionary pathways.
So, the answer is, “Lamarck.”

Note: Lamarck is wrongly credited with the concept of Lamarckism. The concept of Soft inheritance had existed for a very long time and Lamarck incorporated the theory of soft inheritance into his evolutionary theories as a supplement to his concept of orthogenesis, a drive towards complexity.