An Examination of Weismannism

"An Examination of Weismannism" by George John Romanes is a late 19th-century scientific analysis, tackling August Weismann's groundbreaking ideas about heredity, especially the controversial concept that traits gained during an organism's life aren't passed to offspring. Romanes unpacks and questions Weismann's complex system, digging into what it means for how we understand evolution, focusing his examination on Weismann's theory about acquired characteristics and outlining the evolution of these ideas. Romanes sets the stage for a detailed exploration, emphasizing the need to understand how Weismann's ideas connect to properly evaluate them. This foundational work casts light on the heated discussions about heredity and evolution that were central to the scientific world at the time.