Chapter 3 Flashcards
Was Darwin proved wrong on the law of disuse (or the shedding of body parts)?
Yes
Name four examples of acquired characteristics that ultimately were show to be wrong
muscle building; sun tanning; stretching the neck; disuse or cutting off body parts
Define the theory of acquired characteristics
The disproved idea that changes acquired in the body during life, such as enlarged muscles or a suntan, can be passed on to the next generation
Write out Darwin’s quote which demonstrates he believed in acquired characteristics at the end of his lifetime.
“If this implies that many parts are not modified by use and disuse during the life of the individual, I differ widely from you, as every year I come to attribute more and more to such agency.”
How was the law of disuse disproved?
August Weisman cut off the tails of mice for twenty generations in a row. No matter how many tails he cut off, the baby mice were always born with a tail.
What is another name for the law of acquired characteristics?
The law of use and disuse
Are acquired characteristics a valid mechanism by which animals change over time?
No
Which scientist disproved the law of disuse?
August Weisman
In what year did Darwin publish his first book on evolution?
1859
