Epigenetic inheritance--when heritable alterations to gene function are transmitted to offspring, without altering DNA sequences-- is a fascinating body of research, and several studies have demonstrated that maternal condition during pregnancy in humans and other animals can alter offspring phenotype.
Bygren et al. (2014), among others, demonstrated that the conditions grandparents face can leave "molecular scars" that get passed on to their grandchild and can alter their health. More recently, fathers have been implicated for their role in epigenetic inheritance; using a mouse model, researchers have suggested that stressed fathers have levels of certain microRNAs in their sperm that can reprogram responses to stress in their offspring. It also appears that surrogate mothers, or mothers who carry donor eggs, can alter the transcriptome of the embryos they carry pre-implantation, via microRNAs in endometrial fluid.
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