Which of the following best describes "acquired characteristics" according to Lamarckism?
- A. Traits caused by mutation
- B. Traits inherited from parents
- C. Traits developed by use or disuse
- D. Traits selected by nature
Explanation
Lamarck held that an organ strengthens with use and withers with disuse during an individual's own lifetime, and that this change is then passed on. Weismann's germ plasm work disproved the inheritance step, since changes to body cells never reach the gametes. Mutation and natural selection belong to the modern account that replaced it.