Darwin on the inheritance of learned characteristics

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In summary, Lamarck's theory that you could inherit learned emotional responses was later disproven by experiments.
  • #1
RabbitWho
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That should be Lamark! That should be epigenetics! Right? (I remember reading something about breeding rats with a fear of cherry blossom scent)

I thought that Darwin rejected all this, but maybe I am confused with how his work was later interpreted by other people in light of Mendel..?

My textbook says Darwin said in "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals" that you could inherit learned emotional responses, is that true?


I mean, is it true that he said that?


My textbook Psicología de la Emoción, UNED:
9788480049085.jpg
 
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  • #2
I don't know the history of Darwin, but you remind me of this recent article:
A study shows that when mice are taught to fear an odor, both their offspring and the next generation are born fearing it. The gene for an olfactory receptor activated by the odor is specifically demethylated in the germ line and the olfactory circuits for detecting the odor are enhanced.

Lamarck revisited: epigenetic inheritance of ancestral odor fear conditioning
http://www.nature.com/neuro/journal/v17/n1/full/nn.3603.html
 
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  • #4
Enigman said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution_of_emotion
It's Darwin all right.
And the experiment that did away with Lamarck was:

Thanks!



The first of the three is the "principle of serviceable habits," which he defined as useful habits reinforced previously, and then inherited by offspring. He used as an example contracting of eyebrows (furrowing the brow), which he noted is serviceable to prevent too much light from entering the eyes.


That's the opposite of what I associate with Darwin. I would have associated him with the idea that we evolved to have light hurt our eyes, and to avoid pain, but not that furrowing our brow out of noticing that furrowing the brow worked to block out light would somehow cause a mutation that would make our children do it instinctively.
I thought of all Darwinian evolution as being the result of mutation, never the conscious choice of, say the giraffe, to stretch his neck every day to try and reach food, until his DNA codes for a longer neck... i didn't think the mutations were supposed to be caused by our behaviour, I thought they were supposed to be random.
Again, I mean, according to Darwinian evolution.

I wonder if those mice inherited a fear of having their tails cut off. I think I remember a study saying you can teach mice to be afraid of tastes and smells but not noises and flashing lights, and you can teach birds to be afraid of noises and flashing lights but not tastes and smells. Just because the ancestors of the mice had to worry a lot more about getting poisoned and the birds had to worry a lot more about predators.. I am probably remembering the details wrong. I know I read about it in a psychology book called "Motivation" by Phil Evans.
 
  • #5
"Darwin rejected the idea that acquired characteristics could be inherited, as proposed by Lamarck. However, in his book 'The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals', he suggested that certain emotional responses, such as fear, could be inherited through a process of natural selection."

It is important to clarify that Darwin did not fully support the idea of inheriting learned characteristics, as proposed by Lamarck. Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection focused on the inheritance of physical traits, not acquired traits. However, in his later work on the expression of emotions, he did suggest that some emotional responses, such as fear, could have a genetic basis and be inherited through natural selection.

Furthermore, the idea of epigenetics, which is the study of how environmental factors can influence gene expression and potentially be inherited, was not fully understood during Darwin's time. Therefore, it is not accurate to attribute this concept to him.

In regards to breeding rats with a fear of cherry blossom scent, this could potentially fall under the realm of epigenetics, as the fear response could be influenced by environmental factors and potentially be passed down to offspring. However, this is a complex and ongoing area of research and cannot be definitively attributed to Darwin's views on inheritance.

In conclusion, while Darwin did not fully support the idea of inheriting learned characteristics, he did suggest that certain emotional responses could have a genetic basis and be inherited through natural selection. However, it is important to also consider the role of epigenetics in the inheritance of traits and recognize that this was not fully understood during Darwin's time.
 

1. What is the theory of "Darwin on the inheritance of learned characteristics"?

The theory of "Darwin on the inheritance of learned characteristics" refers to the idea proposed by Charles Darwin that certain traits or behaviors acquired during an individual's lifetime can be passed down to their offspring. This theory suggests that the environment and experiences of an organism can influence their genetic makeup and be inherited by future generations.

2. How does this theory differ from Darwin's theory of natural selection?

Darwin's theory of natural selection focuses on the idea that traits that are advantageous for survival and reproduction are more likely to be passed down to future generations. The theory of "Darwin on the inheritance of learned characteristics" suggests that acquired traits can also be inherited, while natural selection only accounts for inherited traits that already exist within a population.

3. Is there evidence to support this theory?

There is limited evidence to support the theory of "Darwin on the inheritance of learned characteristics." While some studies have shown that certain traits, such as fear responses, can be inherited through epigenetic mechanisms, there is still much debate and further research needed to fully understand the role of learned characteristics in inheritance.

4. Can learned characteristics be passed on indefinitely?

It is unlikely that learned characteristics can be passed on indefinitely. While certain traits may be passed down for a few generations through epigenetic mechanisms, they are not permanently fixed in an organism's genetic code. Additionally, environmental factors and natural selection can also influence the expression and inheritance of learned characteristics.

5. How does this theory impact our understanding of evolution?

The theory of "Darwin on the inheritance of learned characteristics" has had a controversial and limited impact on our understanding of evolution. While it does suggest that the environment can play a role in shaping an organism's genetic makeup, it does not fully align with the principles of natural selection and the passing down of inherited traits. This theory is still a topic of debate and further research is needed to fully understand its implications for evolution.

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