The mutation theory of organic evolution was propounded by

The mutation theory of organic evolution was propounded by Hugo de Vries. Hugo de Vries was a Dutch botanist who lived from 1848 to 1935. He was one of the first scientists to study the genetics of plants and proposed the mutation theory of organic evolution in the early 1900s. The mutation theory states that new species arise from sudden, heritable changes in the genetic material (mutations) that occur spontaneously rather than through gradual accumulation of small changes as proposed by Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection. De Vries believed that these mutations were responsible for the sudden appearance of new species in the fossil record and that they could occur rapidly and independently of natural selection. He conducted experiments on plant breeding and found evidence to support his theory. Although the mutation theory was initially met with skepticism, it has since become an important aspect of modern evolutionary theory. Today, we know that mutations do play a role in the origin of new species, and scientists continue to study the mechanisms of mutation and their effects on evolution.