Yes: I don’t see any evidence there that Aristotle realised that traits were inherited, or that radiation explains the diversity of life. It seems safe to say that he didn’t really “get” it.
William Jones got quite a bit closer—in 1786 - noting that many languages had evolved from a common ancestor.
Of course Aristotle realized traits were inherited—in particular he name’s semen and menstrual blood as the directors of the child’s development. Heredity is a really obvious thing to civilizations with that practice animal husbandry, and you know—sexual reproduction. And of course no one knew anything about mutation by radiation.
Yes: I don’t see any evidence there that Aristotle realised that traits were inherited, or that radiation explains the diversity of life. It seems safe to say that he didn’t really “get” it.
William Jones got quite a bit closer—in 1786 - noting that many languages had evolved from a common ancestor.
Of course Aristotle realized traits were inherited—in particular he name’s semen and menstrual blood as the directors of the child’s development. Heredity is a really obvious thing to civilizations with that practice animal husbandry, and you know—sexual reproduction. And of course no one knew anything about mutation by radiation.
I was actually referring to radiating organsims—i.e. adaptive radiation—though what I wrote could be seen as being somewhat ambiguous.