Related Concept Videos
Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance
59.4K
In 1866, Gregor Mendel published the results of his pea plant breeding experiments, providing evidence for predictable patterns in the inheritance of physical characteristics. The significance of his findings was not immediately recognized. In fact, the existence of genes was unknown at the time. Mendel referred to hereditary units as “factors.”
59.4K
Law of Independent Assortment
62.0K
While Mendel’s Law of Segregation states that the two alleles for one gene are separated into different gametes, a different question of how different genes are inherited remains. For example, is the gene for tall plants inherited with the gene for green peas? Mendel asked this question by experimenting with a dihybrid cross; a cross in which both parents are homozygous for two distinct traits resulting in an F1 generation that are heterozygous for both traits.
62.0K
Dihybrid Crosses
80.6K
Overview
80.6K
Law of Segregation
77.2K
When crossing pea plants, Mendel noticed that one of the parental traits would sometimes disappear in the first generation of offspring, called the F1 generation, and could reappear in the next generation (F2). He concluded that one of the traits must be dominant over the other, thereby causing masking of one trait in the F1 generation. When he crossed the F1 plants, he found that 75% of the offspring in the F2 generation had the dominant phenotype, while 25% had the recessive phenotype.
77.2K
Monohybrid Crosses
238.5K
Overview
238.5K
The DNA Helix
28.3K
Deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA, is the genetic material responsible for passing traits from generation to generation in all organisms and most viruses. DNA is composed of two strands of nucleotides that wind around each other to form a spring-like structure called a double helix. However, the double helix is not perfectly symmetrical. Instead, there are regularly occurring grooves in the structure. The major groove occurs where the sugar-phosphate backbones are relatively far apart. This space...
28.3K
You might also read
Related Articles
Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.
Sort by
Same author
Darwin's Influence on Mendel: Evidence from a New Translation of Mendel's Paper.
Genetics·2016
Same journal
Landscape genetics of the copal tree, Bursera cuneata (Burseraceae): the key role of the tropical dry forest in shaping connectivity at the regional scale.
Heredity·2026
Same journal
From Paleogene to Anthropocene: phylogeography, geographic patterns of traits, and chronology of evolutionary drivers in northeast Asian anurans.
Heredity·2026
Same journal
It is hard to be small: Inbreeding depression on male breeding success depends on body size in a threatened songbird.
Heredity·2026
Same journal
How precise are mutation rate estimates? Comparison of different approaches to estimate de novo mutation rates.
Heredity·2026
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 1, 2026

04:52
Following the Dynamics of Structural Variants in Experimentally Evolved Populations
Published on: February 3, 2023
1.3K
Mendel and Darwin: untangling a persistent enigma.
1Department of Biology, Utah Valley University, 800 W. University Parkway, Orem, UT, 84058, USA. daniel.fairbanks@uvu.edu.
Heredity
|December 19, 2019
Summary
Gregor Mendel understood Darwinian evolution, critiquing inheritance concepts in private writings. His annotations reveal a scientist accepting evolution while refining its mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Evolutionary Biology
- History of Science
Background:
- Gregor Mendel and Charles Darwin were contemporaries, with evidence suggesting Mendel was aware of Darwin's work, but not vice-versa.
- Interpretations of Mendel's stance on Darwinian evolution are varied due to limited evidence, ranging from full acceptance to rejection.
Discussion:
- This review analyzes Mendel's published and private writings, including annotations in Darwin's books, to understand his views on evolution.
- Mendel's annotations and correspondence show engagement with Darwin's ideas on pangenesis, fertilization, and heritable variation.
- Mendel utilized Darwinian concepts, including the 'struggle for existence,' in his own scientific discourse.
Key Insights:
- Mendel accepted the core principles of Darwinian evolution.
- He privately identified limitations in Darwin's theories of inheritance based on his own experimental findings.
- Mendel's scientific writings were objective, focusing on empirical evidence without religious or polemical content.
Outlook:
- Further research into historical scientific annotations can illuminate the reception and refinement of major scientific theories.
- Understanding Mendel's nuanced perspective offers insights into the development of modern genetics and evolutionary synthesis.

