The Origin of Adaptations

Abstract

IN NATTJBE of June 1 there is printed the report of a lecture by my old friend, Dr. E. J. Allen, on “The Origin of Adaptations”. I do not desire to enter into a detailed criticism of the views put forward in that lecture, but in one paragraph Dr. Allen refers to my views. He correctly states that I believe that definite proof of the inheritance of acquired characters is available in the works of Kammerer, Durkhen, and Brecher, but that Graham Kerr and Goodrich have put forward strong arguments on the other side. So far as I understand the attitude of Graham Kerr and Goodrich, it amounts to this: that having convinced themselves on a priori grounds that the inheritance of acquired characters is impossible, they refuse to credit any evidence on the other side. Such an attitude is very illuminating as to the mental outlook of these two biologists, but it is not helpful in throwing any light on the question.