A mechanism of inheritance of acquired traits in animals

Abstract

Observational and experimental evidence for the inheritance of acquired traits in animals is slowly, but steadily accumulating. The onset and transmission of acquired traits implies the acquisition and transmission from parents to progeny of new information, which is different from the genetic information contained in DNA. The new non-genetic information most commonly is passed on from parents to the offspring via gamete(s), but how it is precisely transmitted to the successive generations is still unknown. Based on adequate empirical evidence presented herein, a hypothesis is proposed of the inheritance of acquired traits in animals and the flow of the relevant parental information to the offspring.

Keywords: Acquired traits; Brain; Hormones; Neural signals; Transgenerational plasticity; miRNAs.