Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Proposed an early theory of evolution based on the inheritance of acquired characteristics, though later superseded by Darwin's theory.
Most quoted
"It is not the organs, that is to say, the nature and form of the parts of the body of an animal, which have given rise to its habits and its particular faculties. It is, on the contrary, its habits, its manner of life, and the circumstances in which its ancestors have found themselves, which have, in the course of time, really constituted the form of its body, the number and state of its organs, and, in short, the faculties which it possesses."
— from Philosophie Zoologique, 1809
"Second Law: All the acquisitions or losses wrought by nature on individuals, through the influence of the environment in which their race has long been placed, and hence through the influence of the predominant use or permanent disuse of any organ; all these are preserved by reproduction to the new individuals which arise, provided that the acquired modifications are common to both sexes, or at least to the individuals which produce the young."
— from Philosophie Zoologique, 1809
"It is not the organs, that is to say, the nature and form of the parts of the body, that have given rise to their habits and particular faculties, but it is, on the contrary, their habits, their manner of life, and the circumstances in which the individuals of which the race is formed have found themselves, that have with time constituted the form of the body, the number and state of their organs, and finally the faculties which they possess."
— from Philosophie Zoologique, 1809
All quotes by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (412)
As I near the end, I regret only the unfinished inquiries.
The bird's wing: effort's noble reward.
Humor in nature: the duck-billed platypus defies our schemes.
To my students: question everything, observe relentlessly.
The soul of science is curiosity unbound.
Invertebrates: the unsung architects of evolution.
Aging brings clarity to life's grand tapestry.
Darwin may build upon it, but the foundation is laid.
Life, in general, is a physical phenomenon.
It is not the organs, that is to say, the nature and form of the parts of the body, which have given rise to their habits and their faculties, but it is, on the contrary, their habits, their manner of life, and the circumstances in which individuals of their race have found themselves, which have, with time, constituted the form of the body, the number and state of their organs, and finally the faculties which they possess.
The production of a new organ in an animal body results from a new need which continues to make itself felt, and from the new movement which this need excites and maintains.
All that has been acquired or lost by the individual during its life, is preserved by generation and transmitted to the new individuals who descend from it.
Nature, in her course, has produced all the animals, from the simplest to the most perfect, by a gradual and successive development.
The environment acts on the form and organization of animals, and this action is transmitted to their descendants.
Time and favorable circumstances are the two principal means which Nature employs to give existence to all her productions.
The progress of organization is not always uniform; it is often interrupted by the influence of local circumstances.
Nature has made all her productions by degrees, and by successive additions.
The will of animals, when excited by their needs, has a powerful influence on the development of their organs.
The constant use of an organ strengthens it, develops it, and even increases its size, while the disuse of an organ gradually weakens it, deteriorates it, progressively diminishes its faculties, and finally causes it to disappear.
The first law of nature is to preserve life.
Contemporaries of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744–1829).