Canalization by selection of de novo-induced mutations
One of the most fascinating scientific problems, a subject of intense debate, is that of the mechanisms of biological evolution. In this context, Waddington elaborated the concepts of "canalization and assimilation" to explain how an apparently somatic variant induced by stress could become heritable through the germline in Drosophila. He resolved this seemingly Lamarckian phenomenon by positing the existence of cryptic mutations that can be expressed and selected under stress.