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Text File  |  1992-09-03  |  607b  |  16 lines
  1. A theory of evolution, now discredited,
  2. advocated during the early 19th century by
  3. Lamarck. It differed from the Darwinian
  4. theory of evolution in that it was based on
  5. the idea that acquired characteristics were
  6. inherited: he argued that particular use of
  7. an organ or limb strengthens it, and that
  8. this development may be `preserved by
  9. reproduction'. For example, he suggested that
  10. giraffes have long necks because they are
  11. continually stretching them to reach high
  12. leaves; according to the theory, giraffes
  13. that have lengthened their necks by
  14. stretching will pass this characteristic on
  15. to their offspring.
  16.