Epigenetic Lamarck

The article "Perspective: Genetic Assimilation and a Possible Evolutionary Paradox: Can Macroevolution Sometimes Be So Fast As To Pass Us By?" by Pigliucci et al. delves into a fascinating concept: genetic assimilation . This process challenges our traditional understanding of evolution by suggesting that significant evolutionary change can occur surprisingly quickly, potentially escaping our observation. The Core Mechanism and its Controversial Past Genetic assimilation proposes that environmental pressures can induce epigenetic phenotypic changes in an organism. These changes, initially triggered by the environment, can become genetically encoded over generations. This means the organism evolves to express the previously environmentally induced trait even without the original environmental pressure. The authors delve into the historical acceptance and rejection of genetic assimilation within evolutionary biology. The concept was first proposed by C.H. Waddingt...

Evolution, the cornerstone of biology, has long been understood as a process driven by changes in DNA sequences. These changes, arising from mutations and natural selection, lead to the gradual adaptation of populations to their environment. However, the recent surge in epigenetics research has revealed a surprising layer of complexity, challenging our traditional view of evolution. Epigenetics, the study of heritable changes in gene expression that don't involve alterations in the DNA code itself, offers a new lens through which we can understand how organisms adapt and evolve. One of the key ways epigenetics impacts evolution is by enabling phenotypic plasticity. Phenotype refers to the observable characteristics of an organism, and plasticity signifies the ability of a genotype (an organism's genetic makeup) to produce different phenotypes depending on the environment. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation and histone acetylation, act as molecular swi...