GEOapplication/xmlftp://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/series/GSE296nnn/GSE296957/primaryOK200Methylation profilingArabidopsis thalianaMethylation profiling by high throughput sequencinghttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/geo/query/acc.cgi?acc=GSE296957GEOGSEfalseMapping genetic modifiers of epimutation rates identifies VIM2/4 as dosage-sensitive negative regulators of CG methylation maintenance [WGBS]Spontaneous epimutations—stochastic changes in cytosine methylation—can persist across generations in plants and are thought to contribute to phenotypic variation. Although epimutations are increasingly studied for their potential long-term effects, it remains unclear why their accumulation varies across genotypes. Here, we tracked DNA methylation across nine generations in ~400 mutation accumulation lineages derived from ~70 Arabidopsis Ler × Cvi recombinant inbred lines. Treating epimutation rates as quantitative molecular traits, we mapped a major QTL to a Cvi-derived deletion near VIM2 and VIM4, two genes involved in CG methylation (mCG) maintenance. We show that this deletion rapidly reduces genome-wide methylation to a lower steady-state and compromises mCG maintenance fidelity across generations, resulting in a ~1.5-fold increase in epimutation rates. Genotypes with elevated rates exhibited accelerated epigenetic drift and phenotypic divergence. Our findings support a punctuated-equilibrium model of mCG evolution, in which sudden disruptions to methylation homeostasis can destabilize epigenetic inheritance over longer time-scales.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 thaliana