Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance increases trait variation but is not adaptive.

ABSTRACT: Understanding organismal responses to environmental change is a central goal of biology with profound implications for the conservation of biodiversity. Widespread evidence of epigenetic modifications in response to environmental stress, including those inherited across generations, has led to considerable speculation about their role in organismal responses to environmental change. Yet, the magnitude and fitness consequences of epigenetic marks carried beyond maternal inheritance are largely unknown. Here, we tested how transgenerational epigenetic inheritance (TEI) shapes the phenotypic response of Daphnia clones to the environmental stressor Microcystis. We split individuals from each of eight genotypes into exposure and control treatments (P0 generation) and tracked the fitness of thei

SUBMITTER: Shahmohamadloo RS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12167597 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature