the theory of evolution as expounded by later students of Charles Darwin, especially Weismann, holding that natural selection accounts for evolution and denying the inheritance of acquired characters.
2.
any modern theory of evolution holding that species evolve by natural selection acting on genetic variation.
Origin
1900-05
Related forms
neo-Darwinian, adjective, noun
neo-Darwinist, noun
British Dictionary definitions for neo-Darwinism
Neo-Darwinism
/ˌniːəʊˈdɑːwɪnˌɪzəm/
noun
1.
the modern version of the Darwinian theory of evolution, which incorporates the principles of genetics to explain how inheritable variations can arise by mutation
Derived Forms
Neo-Darwinian, adjective, noun
neo-Darwinism in Medicine
Neo-Darwinism Ne·o-Dar·win·ism (nē'ō-där'wə-nĭz'əm) n. Darwinism as modified by the findings of modern genetics.
neo-Darwinism in Science
Neo-Darwinism
(nē'ō-där'wə-nĭz'əm) Darwinism as modified by the findings of modern genetics, stating that mutations due to random copying errors in DNA cause variation within a population of individual organisms and that natural selection acts upon these variations.