Darwin vs Lamarck
With great knowledge, as they say, comes great responsibility. People from the past have concentrated in different branches of science. Some are into biological science. Others tried environmental science. Some are into physical science while some are into chemical science such as chemistry. Other scientists and researchers chose natural science.
Two of the best people and proponents of natural science are Charles Darwin and Jean Baptiste Lamarck. They are notable for their great theories and extensive research in various fields of study.
Charles Darwin is a naturalist and an Englishman. His main work lies in the theory of evolution which he told that species have their own common ancestors, and that evolution resulted in natural selection. In 1859, he published a book called “On the Origin of Species” which states how species evolved from what they are now. Later, people and the scientific community accepted his study as a fact.
Jean Baptiste Lamarck, on the other hand, is French. He was a former soldier and then went to becoming a naturalist, a zoology professor, and a botanist. Having an interest in botany and natural science, he published books such as “Flora Française” for botany and “Système Des Animaux Sans Vertèbres” for natural science.The latter book was about the classification of invertebrates in which he was the first to coin such a word. He worked on further and focused his studies about invertebrate zoology. His theory about evolution of use and disuse became famous, but Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was more accepted rather than Lamarck’s theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics.
Lamarck believed that species evolved due to acquired characteristics in response to the drive of the environment. For example, he believed that giraffes really do not have long necks. But since these animals are trying to reach for food by stretching their necks, their next offspring had longer necks and were able to reach food. On the other hand, Charles Darwin believed that all species came from a single ancestor. He believed that there were types of giraffes with longer necks and with shorter necks. However, those giraffes with shorter necks died due to competition and the drive of the environment, and those with longer necks survived.
Summary:
1.Darwin is an Englishman while Lamarck is French.
2.Darwin is known for his theory of evolution while Lamarck is known for his theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics.
3.Darwin’s theory was accepted in the scientific community, and Lamarck’s theory was rejected.
4.Darwin published a book entitled “On the Origin of Species” while Lamarck published books about botany and natural science.