What did Hugo de Vries contribute to the understanding of heredity?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking what specific contributions Hugo de Vries made to the field of heredity, particularly in terms of genetics and the understanding of inheritance mechanisms.
Answer
Hugo de Vries rediscovered Mendel's laws and proposed the 'theory of mutation' for evolution.
Hugo de Vries contributed to the understanding of heredity by independently rediscovering Mendel's laws of inheritance and proposing the 'theory of mutation,' suggesting that species evolve through sudden, large changes in character traits. He based this theory on experiments with the evening primrose.
Answer for screen readers
Hugo de Vries contributed to the understanding of heredity by independently rediscovering Mendel's laws of inheritance and proposing the 'theory of mutation,' suggesting that species evolve through sudden, large changes in character traits. He based this theory on experiments with the evening primrose.
More Information
Hugo de Vries is renowned for his 'mutation theory,' which posited that new species were formed through sudden mutations rather than gradual evolution. His work was built upon his experiments with Oenothera lamarckiana and contributed significantly to the field of genetics.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse de Vries' 'mutation theory' with the concept of gradual evolution by natural selection. De Vries emphasized sudden, significant changes.
Sources
- Hugo de Vries | Dutch Botanist, Geneticist & Evolutionary Theorist - britannica.com
- Hugo de Vries - DNA from the Beginning - dnaftb.org
- Hugo de Vries - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
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