Tag: darwin's theory of evolution

Questions Related to darwin's theory of evolution

Out of following, who was the predecessor of Darwin's and developed the theory of acquired characteristics?

  1. Weismann

  2. Mendel

  3. Malthus

  4. Lamarck


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Lamarck is the scientist, who gave theory of acquired characteristics. He explained that animals acquire characteristics after using certain physical traits constantly.

State whether the following statement is true or false. If false rewrite the correct form of the statement by changing the last word.
The theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics was proposed by Darwin.

  1. True

  2. False


Correct Option: A

Select the correct match.
I.   Lamarck                     A.  Russian
II.  Oparin                        B.  German
III. Mendel                       C.  Spanish
IV. Suarez                       D.  French

  1. I - D, II - A, III - B, IV - C

  2. I - A, II - B, III - C, IV - D

  3. I - D, II - C, III - B, IV - A

  4. I - A, II - D, III - C, IV - B


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Lamarckism is the idea that an organism can pass on characteristics that it acquired during its lifetime to its offspring. It is named after the French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.
Alexander Oparin was a Soviet biochemist notable for his untested theories about the origin of life and for his book 'The Origin of Life'.
Gregor Johann Mendel was a German-speaking Moravian scientist and Augustinian friar, who gained posthumous fame as the founder of the modern science of genetics.
Suarez is a Spanish scientist. Thus, option A is correct.

Lamarck noted that the leaves of beech tree present on the sunny side had two layers of palisade cells, whereas leaves that were present in the shade had only one layer. He attributed this to

  1. Environment reactions

  2. Change of habits

  3. Use and disuse

  4. Inheritance of acquired character


Correct Option: C

The scientist who proposed the first theory of evolution was

  1. Wallace

  2. Darwin

  3. Lamarck

  4. Hugo de Vries


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Lamarckism (or Lamarckian inheritance) is the idea that an organism can pass on characteristics that it acquired during its lifetime to its offspring (also known as heritability of acquired characteristics or soft inheritance). It is named after the French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, who incorporated the action of soft inheritance into his evolutionary theories as a supplement to his concept of an inherent progressive tendency driving organisms continuously towards greater complexity, in parallel but separate lineages with no extinction. Lamarck theory of evolution is the first theory of evolution which was followed by other theories proposed by Wallace, Darwin and Hugo de Vries. 

Therefore, the correct answer is option C.

Concept of inheritance of acquired characters was disapproved by experiments of 

  1. Oparin

  2. Weismann

  3. Fox

  4. Darwin


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The inheritance of acquired characteristics is a hypothesis that physiological changes acquired over the life of an organism (such as the enlargement of a muscle through repeated use) may be transmitted to offspring. The basic concept of inheritance of acquired characters was finally widely rejected in the early 20th century. It was disapproved by experiment conducted by Weismann. Weismann conducted the experiment of removing the tails of 68 white mice, repeatedly over 5 generations and reporting that no mice were born in consequence without a tail or even with a shorter tail. 

Therefore, the correct answer is option B.

Consider the following statements relating to evolution and answer the question.

(i) Organisms are products of a history of descent with modification.
(ii) Characteristics acquired by an organism during its lifetime are inherited by its offspring.
(iii) The goal of evolution is to adapt organisms to the environment.
(iv) Evolutionary change is brought about by natural selection.

The theory of evolution presented in Darwin's "The Origin of Species" depended on what combination of these statements?


Which combination of the above statements best reflects Lamarck's theory of evolution?

  1. (i)

  2. Both (i) and (ii)

  3. (ii)

  4. Both (ii) and (iv)

  5. (iii)


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The inheritance of acquired characteristics is a hypothesis that physiological changes acquired over the life of an organism (such as the enlargement of a muscle through repeated use) may be transmitted to offspring. It is also commonly referred to as the theory of adaptation equated with the evolutionary theory of French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck known as Lamarckism. Thus, option C is correct. Lamarckism does not reflects organisms are products of a history of descent with modification (Darwinism), the goal of evolution is to adapt organisms to the environment and evolutionary change is brought about by natural selection (Darwinism). Thus, other options are wrong.

'Lamarck's theory is an evergreen superstition' was reported by__________.

  1. C. Darwin

  2. C. D. Darlington

  3. Hugo de Vries

  4. Carson


Correct Option: B

Theory of Lamarck was based on

  1. Adaptive modifications

  2. Adaptive radiatons

  3. Both A and B

  4. None of the above


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Lamarckism is the idea that an organism can pass on characteristics that it acquired during its lifetime to its offspring also known as heritability of acquired characteristics or soft inheritance. It is named after the French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, who incorporated the action of soft inheritance into his evolutionary theories as a supplement to his concept of an inherent progressive tendency driving organisms continuously towards greater complexity, in parallel but separate lineages with no extinction. Lamarck did not originate the idea of soft inheritance, which proposes that individual efforts during the lifetime of the organisms were the main mechanism driving species to adaptation, as they supposedly would acquire adaptive changes and pass them on to offspring. According to Lamarck change in the environment brings modifications in plants and animals so as to adapt to their surroundings. So, theory of Lamarck was based on adaptive modifications and not based on adaptive collisions and radiations. Thus, option A is correct and other options are wrong.

According to Lamarck, intense use of an organ results in

  1. Its decreases size

  2. Its development

  3. Its extinction

  4. None of the above


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Lamarck illustrated his theory using the example of the evolution of giraffes. They had short-necked ancestors that had tried all their lives to reach for the juicy leaves of trees. By constantly stretching their necks, they grew longer and longer, a property which they passed on to their offspring. The long neck of the giraffe is said to have come into existence in this manner over generations. So, according to Lamarck intense use of an organ results in its development.