Evoblog: Conversation between Mendel, Darwin, and Lamarck

Mendel: Did you guys know that the trait of an offspring is determined by its parents' alleles?

Darwin: Yes, however I noticed that throughout the ages, there have been changes in the offspring of species.

Lamarck: That is because over time, species change because of the environment.

Mendel: How does the environment affect traits?

Lamarck: Organisms might have to inherit specific traits to survive in a certain environment. For example, a carnivorous bird will need a sharp, curved beak to tear raw meat while a bird with a sharp, pointed beak can catch insects.

Darwin: This is related to natural selection. If an organism is in an environment where they don't need a certain trait, the trait will gradually fade away.

Mendel: It must take a long time for dominant traits to fade away, since when offspring inherit traits, they have a higher chance of taking the dominant allele from both parents.

Lamarck: Well, the trait doesn't always have to come from ancestors. Any traits that an organism picks up during its lifetime will be passed down.

Darwin: This is how new traits form!