New study shows how guinea pig fathers pass on adaptive responses to environmental changes

(Forschungsverbund Berlin) Adaptations to environmental change are the most important asset for the persistence of any plant or animal species. This is usually achieved through genetic mutation and selection, a slow process driven by chance. Faster and more targeted are epigenetic modifications. A new study carried out by scientists from the Leibniz-IZW in Germany shows for wild guinea pigs that epigenetic modifications specific to individual environmental factors are passed on to the next generation.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news