Final answer:
The early experiments with hybridization by botanists did not lead directly to Mendel's discoveries because they were sometimes based on incorrect assumptions and were not recognized as a framework for genetic inheritance until later. Mendel's work with pea plants established the principles of genetics, but his role as the father of genetics was not acknowledged until after his lifetime. Therefore correct option is A
Step-by-step explanation:
The conclusion that botanists' early experiments with hybridization led straight to Gregor Mendel's later discoveries about genetic inheritance is not entirely correct because some early investigations were based on incorrect assumptions or flawed methodologies that did not align with the scientific method. While some botanists did conduct experiments on plant hybridization before Mendel, their work did not establish a clear and correct framework for understanding genetic inheritance. Moreover, Mendel's discoveries were largely ignored by the scientific community at the time due to the prevailing belief in blending inheritance, and it was only much later that the significance of his findings was recognized.
Mendel experimented with pea plants and demonstrated that traits are transmitted faithfully from parents to offspring in specific patterns. His work, described in his 1866 publication titled Experiments in Plant Hybridization, laid the foundation for classical genetics, but the impact of Mendel's experiments and his role as the father of genetics were not acknowledged until the turn of the century. Mendel himself worked under the assumption that specific traits were inherited in what he saw as distinct classes, rather than blended, which contrasted the mainstream beliefs of his time.