Resumo de A New Factor In Evolution

Balwin had explained organic evolution from a new light and
pointed out to certain influence, which he called a factor
ignored by his predecessors Mead and Darwin. He opined that
organic evolution can be broadly categorized under three
heads ; ontogeny, phylogeny and hereditary and the new
factor influenced the ontogenic properties mostly.
The organic selection theory says that while the
hereditarily acquired and genetically dominant properties
of an organism determines its qualities, there are some
acquired properties one achieve from the environment that
influence his overall development. They include all
chemical agents, temperature, hindrance to growth ?physico-
genetic forces.

He observed that the young of species are quite adaptable
to environmental changes and in most of cases respond
better than the aged ones. While adjusting to these
stresses organisms develop properties, which he called
acquired properties.
To adjust to stresses organism develop new functions and
on continuous practice inculcate them in their overall
built. Similarly certain functions decay because of
continuous disuse. This he called Use and disuse law.

He observed that mechanical stress give birth to physico-
genetic properties, nervous stess neutrogenic properties
and intelligent higher impetus (pain pleasure ,imitation
etc ) psychogenetic property. To survive organisms have to
adapt to the environment quite early and only the ones
which can modify their congenital properties survive. Hence
ontogeny is the most influenced by this extraneous
factors. He believed that only congenital variations are
kept alive and transmitted to the generations.

The new term organic selection used by him was meant to
express selected variety of species, which survive the
stress of its environment. He said since organisms
voluntarily take part in the process the term organic is
appropriate. But the revolutionary utterance that caused
lots of commotion was about the social conditioning of
individuals.
Regarding social heredity he said the changes coming from
the social environment also influence phylogenetic
variations . He included them in heredity as socially
adaptable ones are kept live and are able to transmit their
characters from generations to generations.

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