Jean Baptiste de Lamarck
1
9.9
- proper noun
- Jean Baptiste de Lamarck was a pioneering French naturalist who influenced the study of evolution with his ideas.
Examples
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Jean Baptiste de Lamarck was among the first to propose a comprehensive theory of evolution.
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Many biology textbooks discuss the ideas of Jean Baptiste de Lamarck alongside those of Darwin.
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Though later disproven, Jean Baptiste de Lamarck's theory influenced future research in evolutionary biology.
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Did Jean Baptiste de Lamarck really believe in the inheritance of acquired traits?
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Jean Baptiste de Lamarck is a key figure in evolutionary biology.
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In the history of biology, Jean Baptiste de Lamarck is often credited with proposing that traits acquired during an organism's lifetime can be inherited.
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Modern evolution discussions frequently reference Jean Baptiste de Lamarck to contrast his theories with those of Charles Darwin.
Synonyms
1
9.1
A French scientist who said animals pass on traits they gain to their young
1
8.6
A French scientist who said animals change during life and pass those changes to their young
1
9.9
A French scientist who proposed that animals and plants change over time and pass on traits they get
Surface Forms
Morphology
Jean + Baptiste + de + Lamarck
This is a full personal name (proper noun) referring to a specific historical individual; knowing the parts ('Jean', 'Baptiste', 'de', 'Lamarck') at best signals a French name but does not allow a B1 learner to infer the person’s identity, profession, or the specific meaning "French naturalist who proposed inheritance of acquired characteristics." Proper names are referential rather than compositional, so the overall meaning cannot be derived from the constituents.
Etymology
Jean Baptiste de Lamarck was a French scientist known for a simple, memorable idea. One popular story says he imagined a giraffe stretching its neck to reach leaves so its neck would get longer and its children would inherit that longer neck. That's why his name is linked to the idea called 'inheritance of acquired characteristics', meaning traits gained in life are passed to offspring.