Father's lifestyle... and progeny.

[Sriram]

Hi everyone,

Here is a Science Daily report on epigenetics and the effect a father's lifestyle has on multiple generations of his offspring.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160515183716.htm

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"We know the nutritional, hormonal and psychological environment provided by the mother permanently alters organ structure, cellular response and gene expression in her offspring," she says.

"But our study shows the same thing to be true with fathers -- his lifestyle, and how old he is, can be reflected in molecules that control gene function," she says. "In this way, a father can affect not only his immediate offspring, but future generations as well."

For example, a newborn can be diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), even though the mother has never consumed alcohol, Kitlinska says. "Up to 75 percent of children with FASD have biological fathers who are alcoholics, suggesting that preconceptual paternal alcohol consumption negatively impacts their offspring."

The report is a review of evidence, human and animal, published to date on the link between fathers and heritable epigenetic programming.

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I have linked earlier an article about the epigenetic causes of homosexuality.

For information.

Cheers.

Sriram

[Humph Warden Bennett]

Another attempt by killjoy prigs to discredit moderate alcohol consumers. I have done all my reproducing, the prigs can go fluck each other if they want.

[floo]

My husband and I drank alcohol once in a blue moon during our youth, and now in extreme moderation.

[Brownie]

Most people are like that floo, only a few over indulge on a regular basis.  The report which details fetal alcohol syndrome deals with extremes.

[Sriram]

This article does emphasis drinking, but epigenetics is not just about drinking. It is about all lifestyle issues such as diet, stress, smoking and other such things.

All these could generate chemicals that get deposited along the DNA strand and change gene expression.... and get passed on to multiple generations of our progeny.

More generally....evolution itself could be directly impacted by epigenetic  mechanisms because evolution depends largely on the phenotype....gene expression.  The fact that we are so different from primates in spite of sharing most of the genes could be on account of such epigenetic influences.

[Hope]

Saw this in a Metro report yesterday.  It does seem to make sense, rather than putting all the burden on the mother.  Does it help to get society to understand the role of the father in a child's life better?  Who knows.