What was Aristotle's inheritance theory?

Aristotle's inheritance theory, primarily discussed in his work "Physics," posits that traits are passed from parents to offspring through a process he termed "epigenesis." He believed that the male contributes the form or essence of the offspring, while the female provides the matter. This theory emphasizes the importance of both parents in the development of the next generation, a precursor to modern understandings of genetics, although it lacked the scientific rigor found in contemporary Biology. Aristotle's views laid the groundwork for later explorations of heredity and reproduction.