Final answer:
Charles Darwin and Jean Baptiste Lamarck had contrasting views on evolution. Darwin focused on natural selection and gradual changes over time, while Lamarck emphasized the inheritance of acquired traits and quicker evolutionary changes within an individual's lifetime.
Step-by-step explanation:
Comparison between Charles Darwin and Jean Baptiste Lamarck
1. Concept of Evolution:
- Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection, which states that individuals with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce, leading to the gradual change in species over time.
- Lamarck believed in the inheritance of acquired characteristics, suggesting that an organism can pass on traits acquired during its lifetime to its offspring.
2. Mechanism of Evolution:
- Darwin's theory focused on the idea of natural selection, where certain traits provide individuals with a survival advantage, allowing them to pass on those traits to future generations.
- Lamarck's theory involved the use and disuse of body parts. Lamarck suggested that certain traits are acquired or lost based on an organism's use or disuse of specific body parts, leading to evolutionary change.
3. Time Frame:
- Darwin's theory proposed gradual changes over long periods of time.
- Lamarck's theory implied that evolution could occur within an individual's lifetime.