Before the discovery of DNA and Genes, how did people explain heritable traits passed down from mothers and fathers? | AskHistorians Archive Observer

Before the discovery of DNA and Genes, how did people explain heritable traits passed down from mothers and fathers?

by English_Joe

hamiltonkg

These two answers by u/restricteddata may be of some interest while you await a specific answer to your question:

Before Gregor Mendel's work on heredity, how was the scenario of two dark haired parents producing a child with blonde hair viewed?
What were people in ancient societies explanation of “genetics”? For example, was it widely understood that a man’s son would (to one degree or another) resemble himself?