What would have happened if Darwin had known Mendel (or Mendel's work)?. Lorenzano P(1). Author information: ... What is more, it nearly happened: it would have been enough if Darwin had cut the pages of the offprint of Mendel's work that was in his library and read them! read more
Because the paper was in German. For all his talents, Darwin had no gift of language. read more
Thus, the story that Darwin possessed an offprint of Mendel’s text with its pages uncut prob- ably originated from this copy of Focke (1881), which was in Darwin’s possession and did have its pages referring to Mendel’s work on Pisum uncut.5 One final introductory note returns us to the paper’s title and the as- sumption that Mendel’s work might have provided Darwin with crucial and missing information for his evolutionary ideas. read more