Lamarck Evolution: How much do your choices matter?
Before Darwin, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck came up with a theory of evolution. Listen to this week’s episode of Good in Theory to find out what he got wrong and how his theory was used politically.
How do animals adjust to changing environments? Why are some living things much more complex than others? Before Darwin came up with his theory of evolution, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck had a theory of evolution of his own.
Instead of using language such as “mutation” and “natural selection”, his theory is one of gradual and intentional change. “Extinction” was also not in his vocabulary, instead he talked about “spontaneous generation” and “complexifying force”.
To evolve your understanding of Lamarck's theory of evolution and how it was used culturally and politically, listen to this week’s episode of Good in Theory.
Credits
- Created and Produced by: Rita Neves (Research Associate at the University of Sheffield)
- Created and Produced by: Sofie Ried (PhD Student at the University of Sheffield)
- Intro/Outro Music: Andrew Glover