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Proposed an early theory of evolution based on the inheritance of acquired characteristics, though later superseded by Darwin's theory.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)
The earth is a living organism, constantly changing and evolving.
The most important thing is to observe and describe nature accurately.
The true method of science is observation and experiment.
The more we know about nature, the more we admire its wisdom.
The chain of being is continuous, without any gaps.
The simplest forms of life are the ancestors of the most complex.
Nature, in her operations, always proceeds by degrees, and never leaps.
The needs of an animal, and the circumstances in which it finds itself, determine the use or disuse of its organs.
It is not the organ, that is to say, the nature and form of the parts of the body, which have given rise to the habits and particular faculties of animals; but it is, on the contrary, the habits, the manner of life, and the circumstances in which the individuals of a species 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.
All that has been acquired or lost by individuals, and altered by the influence of the circumstances to which their race has been for a long time exposed, and consequently by the influence of the predominant use or disuse of such organ, is preserved by generation to the new individuals which proceed from them, provided that the acquired modifications are common to both sexes, or to the individuals which produce the new ones.
Time and favorable circumstances are the two principal means employed by nature to bring about all her productions.
The more an organ is used, the more it develops and strengthens; the less it is used, the more it weakens and deteriorates.
Nature has made everything for a purpose.
The true science of nature consists in observing and comparing.
I have always been convinced that the study of nature is the most noble and useful of all studies.
The more we observe, the more we are convinced that nature is full of wonders.
It is by observing the smallest details that we can hope to discover the great laws of nature.
The study of fossils is essential for understanding the history of life on Earth.
The Earth is constantly changing, and so are the living beings that inhabit it.
The forces of nature are immense and constantly at work.
Contemporaries of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Other Biologys born within 50 years of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744–1829).