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If Darwin knew of Mendel's work, it would add a mechanism for inheritance, providing further support for his theory of evolution by natural selection. Simple
answer: Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection proposed that individuals with certain advantageous traits were more likely to survive and reproduce, passing those traits on to future generations. However, he did not have a clear understanding of how these traits were inherited.
If Darwin knew of Mendel's work on inheritance, which outlined the principles of genetic inheritance through the passing of discrete units called genes, it would have provided a mechanism for how advantageous traits could be passed on from parents to offspring. This would have added further support to Darwin's theory, as it would have explained how variations within a population can arise and be passed down over generations.
Additionally, it would have provided a more concrete understanding of how variation can occur within a population, as Mendel's work explained that traits are inherited through the segregation and recombination of genes. This would have helped to address some of the criticisms and uncertainties surrounding Darwin's theory at the time.
In summary, if Darwin had known of Mendel's work, it would have strengthened his theory of evolution by providing a mechanism for inheritance and a more detailed understanding of how variations are passed down through generations.