Have you ever wondered where the idea of evolution stemmed from, or how about where belief that organisms altered their behavior in response to changes in their surrounding environments came from? The answer to those questions is that both ideas were brought up and further investigated by French naturalist and biologist, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. Lamarck was born on August 1, 1744 and lived until December 28, 1829 (“Jean-Baptiste Lamarck – Biography.”). In this paper, I will be evaluating Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s early life and the events that led up to his career as a biologist, what he studied and he held interest in, and also the impact he made on modern biology and what we know today thanks to his discoveries, analogies, and further research. …show more content…
Lamarck was born in the northern French village of Bazentin-le-Petit into a family of 11 older children (“Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829)”). His given name was Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet (Jean-Baptiste Lamarck – Biography.”). Following the footsteps of the family members who came before him, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck joined the French Army in 1761. Throughout his life, Lamarck’s education consisted of his attendance to the Jesuit seminary in order to please his father who wished for him to pursue a career in the Church (“Who is Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.”). Lamarck also worked as a bank clerk in Paris and served in the army. Although he contributed to the world of science in more ways than one, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck still lived most of his life in poverty and lost his sight in 1818 (“Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829)”). This well-known biologist was not awarded for his efforts involving science; however, during the war he received a commission for his bravery during battle when he was only 17 years old (“Jean-Baptiste Lamarck – Biography.”). This information offers background about the life that Jean-Baptiste Lamarck led prior to and after his career as a