Technology Review: A Comeback for Lamarckian Evolution?

Technology Review: A Comeback for Lamarckian Evolution?: "A Comeback for Lamarckian Evolution?

"Two new studies show that the effects of a mother's early environment can be passed on to the next generation.

"The effects of an animal's environment during adolescence can be passed down to future offspring, according to two new studies. If applicable to humans, the research, done on rodents, suggests that the impact of both childhood education and early abuse could span generations. The findings provide support for a 200-year-old theory of evolution that has been largely dismissed: Lamarckian evolution, which states that acquired characteristics can be passed on to offspring.

"'The results are extremely surprising and unexpected,' says Li-Huei Tsai, a neuroscientist at MIT who was not involved in the research. Indeed, one of the studies found that a boost in the brain's ability to rewire itself and a corresponding improvement in memory could be passed on. 'This study is probably the first study to show there are transgenerational effects not only on behavior but on brain plasticity.'

"In recent years, scientists have discovered that epigenetic changes--heritable changes that do not alter the sequence of DNA itself--play a major role in development, allowing genetically identical cells to develop different characteristics; epigenetic changes also play a role in cancer and other diseases. (The definition of epigenetics is somewhat variable, with some scientists limiting the term to refer to specific molecular mechanisms that alter gene expression.) Most epigenetic studies have been limited to a cellular context or have looked at the epigenetic effects of drugs or diet in utero. These two new studies are unique in that the environmental change that triggers the effect--enrichment or early abuse--occurs before pregnancy. 'Give mothers chemicals, and it can affect offspring and the next generation,' says Larry Feig, a neuroscientist at Tufts University School of Medicine, in Boston, who oversaw part of the research. 'In this case, [the environmental change] happened way before the mice were even fertile.'"

Sounds a lot like a mechanism in support of Darwin's pangenesis theory.