Final answer:
Mendel's experiments with pea plants disputed the blending theory of inheritance by demonstrating that traits are passed down in distinct classes rather than as a blend of parental traits. This discovery was initially overlooked by the scientific community, which mistakenly believed in continuous variation as the explanation for intermediate phenotypes in offspring.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the time of Gregor Mendel, the scientific community was invested in the blending theory of inheritance . This theory suggested that offspring were a mix of their parents' traits, displaying an intermediate phenotype. However, Mendel's work with pea plants demonstrated that this was not the case, particularly for traits that showed discontinuous variation . His experiments with plants showing either or traits, like violet or white flowers, showcased that traits were inherited as distinct alleles and not as a blend of the two parental traits.
Continuous variation, as we understand now, pertains to characteristics determined by the interaction of many genes, such as human height, which led to the initial impression that offspring traits were a blend of parental characteristics. Still, Mendel's research revealed the foundational principles of genetics, disproving the blending theory by showing that traits can be passed down in distinct classes. The scientific community did not immediately recognize his findings until after his lifetime when his studies were rediscovered and affirmed the particulate nature of inheritance.