Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
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Portrait of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
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| Born | August 1, 1744 Bazentin, Picardie
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| Died | December 18, 1829 (aged 85) |
| Nationality | French |
| Known for | Evolution; inheritance of acquired characters. Influenced Geoffroy |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | French Academy of Sciences; Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle; Jardin des Plantes |
Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, also known as Lamarck, was a famous French scientist. He was born on August 1, 1744, and passed away on December 18, 1829. Lamarck was a soldier, a naturalist (someone who studies nature), and a professor. He was one of the first thinkers to suggest that living things change over time. This big idea is what we now call evolution.
Lamarck's Early Life
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Jean-Baptiste was the eleventh child in his family. His parents were nobles, but they did not have much money. They wanted him to become a priest. When he was eleven, he went to a Jesuit school in Amiens.
Joining the Army
After his father died in 1759, Jean-Baptiste decided to join the army. He fought in the Pomeranian War against Prussia. He was very brave and even received a medal for his actions. During his time in the army, he was stationed in different forts in France.
While he was in Monaco, Lamarck became very interested in natural history. He decided he wanted to study medicine. In 1766, he was injured, so he left the army in 1768. He then went back to Paris to study medicine.
Becoming a Scientist
From 1770 to 1774, Lamarck studied medicine at the university. However, he did not finish his degree. During this time, he met many important scientists. These included botanists like Bernard and Antoine-Laurent de Jussieu. He also met the famous naturalist Buffon.
Lamarck became especially interested in botany, which is the study of plants. He wrote a three-volume book about plants. Because of his great work, he became a member of the French Academy of Sciences in 1779. Later, in 1793, a new museum was started called the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle. Lamarck was made a professor of zoology there. Zoology is the study of animals.
Images for kids
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Lamarck, late in life
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Statue of Lamarck by Léon Fagel in the Jardin des Plantes, Paris
See also
In Spanish: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck para niños
