BioConcepts

preformationpréformation (fr.); Präformation (ger.)

• The supposed existence of all the parts of an organism in rudimentary form in the egg or the seed. (OED)
  category development

  c. 400

  [Unde et in hac vita qui summo labore piis studiis ac religiosis operam dederint, quamvis parva quaeque ex multis et inmensis divinae scientiae capiant thesauris, tamen hoc ipsum, quod animos suos mentem que erga haec occupant atque in hac semet ipsos cupiditate praeveniunt, – multum utilitatis accipiunt ex hoc ipso, quod animos suos ad inquirendae veritatis studium amorem que convertunt et paratiores eos faciunt ad eruditionis futurae capacitatem (sicut, cum aliquis velit imaginem pingere, si ante futurae formae liniamenta tenuis stili adumbratione designet et superponendis vultibus capaces praeparet notas, sine dubio per adumbrationem iam inposita praeformatio ad suscipiendos veros illos colores paratior invenitur), si modo adumbratio ipsa ac deformatio stilo domini nostri Iesu Christi 'in cordis nostri tabulis' perscribatur. [Whence also, even in this life, those who devote themselves with great labour to the studies of piety and religion, although they obtain only some small fragments from the numerous and immense treasures of divine knowledge, yet, by this very factthat they occupy their understanding and intellect with these things and surpass themselves in the eager desire–they receive much advantage from this fact itself, for they turn their intellects to the study and love of searching for the truth and make themselves fitter for receiving the instruction to come; just as, when someone would paint an image, if he first with a light pencil trace a sketch of the shape to come and prepare the marks ready for the superimposition of the features, undoubtedly, by the outline now laid down through the sketch, the canvas is found to be more ready for the reception of the real colours, [so it will be with us] if only that sketch and outline may be traced on the tablets of our hearts by the pencil of our Lord Jesus Christ.]]

  Origenes secundum Rufinus (c. 400). De principiis (Periarchon), in: Origenes secundum translationem quam fecit Rufinus (CPL 0198 E (A), GCS, 22, P. Koetschau, 1913, 7-364): 187 (II, 11, 4) [Engl. transl. J. Behr, Oxford 2017].]

  1705

  la matiere arrangée par une sagesse divine doit estre essentiellement organisée partout, […] ainsi, il y a machine dans les parties de la machine naturelle à lʼinfini, et tant d’enveloppes et corps organiques enveloppés les uns dans les autres, quʼon ne sauroit jamais produire un corps organique tout à fait nouveau et sans aucune preformation, et qu’on ne sauroit detruire entierement non plus un animal déja subsistant.

  Leibniz, G.W. (1705). Considérations sur les principes de vie, et sur les natures plastiques (Philosophische Schriften, vol. 4, Frankfurt/M. 1996, 327-347): 342 (GP 6, 544).

  1714

  [semences préformées

  Leibniz, G.W. (1714). Les principes de la philosophie ou la monadologie (Philosophische Schriften, vol. 1, Frankfurt/M. 1996, 438-482): 472 (§74).]

  1756

  There is no necessity for the Seed of a Plant to contain everything in Miniature that is to be produced from the Plant […]; for we do not find trees, &c. sprout out of the ground in that regular Form they afterwards acquire […]; and therefore such a Preformation of their several Parts could answer no End or Purpose.

  Anonymus (1756). Thoughts on the Being of a God: 79.

  1831

  The two styles of conversation corresponded to the two theories of generation,—one (Johnson's) to the theory of Preformation (or Evolution)—the other (Burke's) to the theory of Epigenesis.

  [Anonymous] (1831). Dr. Parr and his Contemporaries. Blackwood's Edinburgh magazine 29, 61-81: 68; as in OED 2012.

  1927

  Präformiert ist im Ei (in jeder Zelle, jedem Keimteil) nur die Summe aller Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten, die prospektive Potenz = Genotypus. Nicht präformiert ist die Entscheidung, welche der Möglichkeiten verwirklicht werden; diese Entscheidung, das ist die Determination, geschieht durch das Eintreten bestimmter Entwicklungsbedingungen, und dies ist somit ein ausgesprochen epigenetischer Vorgang. Das Tier entwickelt sich also auf Grund präformierter Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten durch die determinierende Wirkung epigenetisch zustandekommender Entwicklungsbedingungen

  Schleip, W. (1927). Entwicklungsmechanik und Vererbung bei Tieren. In: Baur, E. & Hartmann, M. (eds.). Handbuch der Vererbungswissenschaft, vol. III A: 4.

  1934

  the modern view is rigorously preformationist as regards the hereditary constitution of an organism, but rigorously epigenetic as regards its embryological development

  Huxley, J.S. & de Beer, G.R. (1934). The Elements of Experimental Embryology: 2; also similar Dürken, B. (1919/28). Lehrbuch der Experimentalzoologie: 673; cf. Ubisch, L. von (1942). Die Bedeutung der neueren experimentellen Embryologie und Genetik für das Evolutions-Epigeneseproblem.

  1982

  preformation theory That germ cells contain preformed miniature adults which unfold during development; encasement theory; incasement theory; preformism; cf. epigenesis.

  Lincoln, R.J., Boxshall, G.A. & Clark, P.F. (1982). A Dictionary of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics: 201.