Weismann’s Barrier and Crick’s Barrier Still Preclude Two Kinds of Lamarckism

Abstract

In his target article 'The Illusions of the Modern Synthesis', Denis Noble argues that the Modern Synthesis is undermined by the major findings of molecular biology. The supposed falsification of Weisman's Barrier and of standard interpretations of Francis Crick's Central Dogma has paved the way for Lamarckian forms of inheritance which are prohibited by that theory of evolution. I argue that August Weismann postulated two barriers against two kinds of Lamarckism. However, his second barrier was speculative. It was made more concrete through the articulation of Francis Crick's Central Dogma. These two barriers still preclude Lamarckism or Lamarckian forms of inheritance, as understood by Weismann.