< /ʒɑ̃ baˈtist pyɛr ɑ̃ˈtwan də mɔˈnɛ də/, 1744–1829, French naturalist: pioneer in the field of comparative anatomy.
noun
- Jean Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet (ʒɑ̃ batist pjɛr ɑ̃twan də mɔnɛ), Chevalier de Lamarck. 1744–1829, French naturalist. He outlined his theory of organic evolution (Lamarckism) in Philosophie Zoologique (1809)
- French naturalist noted for his theories on evolution by adaptative modification and for classifying animals into vertebrates and invertebrates.
- French naturalist who introduced the taxonomic distinction between vertebrates and invertebrates. His theory that the acquired characteristics of a species could be inherited by later generations was a forerunner to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, although it was eventually discredited.