Lamark vs Darwin

Inheritance of acquired characteristics

Organism will acquire traits that are needed over its life

EX: a giraffe can get a longer neck simply by stretching daily.

Giraffes all had SHORT necks originally

Giraffe’s Necks got LONGER from stretching for food

“Acquired” trait (long necks) then passed to offspring

Giraffe population became long-necked

Acquired characteristics are heritable

EX: If you crop a dogs ears, all their offspring will be born with cropped ears.

Ex: If you get a tattoo, all you children will be born with that same tattoo

Survival of the fittest

Those animals with the best adaptations/characteristics survive and reproduce, passing on their superior genetics.

EX: Giraffes with short necks starved to death while longer necked giraffes survived and passed on their long necked trait.