Final answer:
Gregor Mendel's success in understanding heredity was due to his use of pea plants as a model system, his scientific methodology, and the identification of dominant and recessive traits, although his work was only recognized posthumously.
Step-by-step explanation:
Gregor Mendel, often referred to as the "father of genetics," laid the foundation for our contemporary understanding of heredity. His success can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, Mendel selected pea plants (Pisum sativum) as his model system due to their desirable characteristics: they were true-breeding, had easily observable traits, a short lifecycle, and could be grown in large numbers. This allowed him to see clear patterns in trait inheritance over several generations.
Additionally, Mendel applied sound scientific methods in his experiments. He methodically cross-pollinated plants with different traits and recorded the outcomes over many generations, which provided substantial empirical evidence for his theories. His rigorous approach resulted in the discovery of dominant and recessive traits, explaining why some traits appear in offspring while others do not.
Despite his groundbreaking work, Mendel's findings were not recognized until decades after his experiments. It was only in the early 20th century that the importance of his work was acknowledged, cementing his monumental impact on the field of genetics.