Discredited theory of evolutionary change proposed that changes that occur during the lifetime of an individual, through use or disuse, can be passed on to the next generation

• A. Theory of inheritance by acquired characteristics
• B. Catastrophism
• C. Monogenism
• D. Binomial nomenclature

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is the inheritance of acquired characteristics. This view, proposed by Lamarck, held that traits developed during an individual’s lifetime through use or disuse could be passed on to offspring, allowing organisms to adapt to their environment within a single generation or two. However, this mechanism clashes with what we now know about heredity: genetic information is transmitted through genes in the germ line, and changes that occur in somatic tissues do not reliably become heritable. The strength of modern genetics and observations of inheritance show that evolution proceeds mainly through variation that is heritable and acted on by natural selection, not by traits acquired during life being passed down. Thus, this theory is considered discredited. The other terms refer to different ideas—catastrophism involves drastic events shaping Earth’s history, monogenism concerns a single origin of humanity, and binomial nomenclature is the two-part naming system in biology.