Systeme Des Animaux Sans Vertebres

The great French zoologist Lamarck (17441829) was best known for his theory of evolution called ''soft inheritance'' whereby organisms pass down acquired characteristics to their offspring. Originally a soldier Lamarck later studied medicine and biology becoming particularly interested in botany; his distinguished career included admission to the French Academy of Sciences (1779) and appointments as Royal Botanist (1781) and as professor of zoology at the Muse Nationale d''Histoire Naturelle in 1793. Acknowledged as the premier authority on invertebrate zoology he is credited with coining the term ''invertebrates''. This work published in Paris in 1801 expands on Linnaeus'' classification system introducing seven sub-categories creating finer divisions along lines of the species'' inherent physical traits and describing their natural characteristics and organisation. Also included is Lamarck''s museum lecture delivered in 1800 in which he first set out his ideas on evolution.