pecies,tobegintorehabilitateDarwin.Yet,whatisremarkableishowveryprescientDarwin,workingwithoutknowledgeofthemechanismsofheredity,provedtobe.AsprominentbiologistErnstMayrnotes,whatmadeDarwiniantheorysoremarkablewashisemphasison“populationthinking.”ThiscontraststoJean-BaptisteLamarck’stheoryofevolution,eenthcentury,whichpositedthatindividualschangedpersonalactionsandwill.Lamarckiantheoryisoftenexemplifiedbyagiraffeconstantlyreachinguptoeatleavesoffhighbranchesandpassingonitslengthenednecktoitschildren.Suchexplanationsboreastrongresemblancetochildren’sfables(andindeedRudyardKipling’eenthcenturyJustsoStoriesbuilduponLamarckiantheories).WhereDarwindifferedwashisinsistencethatsignificantvariationwasnotbasedwithinoneparticularindividual,butratherinthebreedingpopulationasawhole.Naturalselectionwas
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