Abstract

The hypothesis of pangenesis, as presented by Darwin in 1868 as an extensive explanation of the phenomenon of heredity, met with a considerable interest also in the Italian world of science. The reception of our experts varied from an enthusiastic acceptance to a strongly critical examination which was, however, always marked by great interest. On one hand such varied opinions provide us with a precious means of estimating the varying fortunes of Darwinism in Italy; on the other hand it provides further information on the difficult research in the field of biological heredity in the pre-Mendel era