Note 13 — Chapter II
Reading edition
Jean Baptiste Lamarck, a French naturalist, born in 1744, was one of the pioneers in the philosophical study of evolution. The theory (published in 1809) for which he is best known is as follows: "Changes in the animal's surroundings are responded to by changes in its habits." "Any particular habit involves the regular use of some organs and the disuse of others. Those organs which are used will be developed and strengthened, those not used diminished and weakened, and the changes so produced will be transmitted to the offspring, and thus progressive development of particular organs will go on from generation to generation." His classical example is the neck of the giraffe, which he supposes to be long because, for generation after generation, the animals stretched their necks in order to get the highest leaves from the trees.