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The jury is still out regarding the generality of adaptive ‘transgenerational’ effects
Author(s) -
SánchezTójar Alfredo,
Lagisz Malgorzata,
Moran Nicholas P.,
Nakagawa Shinichi,
Noble Daniel W. A.,
Reinhold Klaus
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/ele.13479
Subject(s) - transgenerational epigenetics , generality , jury , ecology , psychology , biology , offspring , political science , genetics , pregnancy , law , psychotherapist
A recent meta‐analysis concluded, ‘ transgenerational effects are widespread, strong and persistent’ . We identify biases in the literature search, data and analyses, questioning that conclusion. Re‐analyses indicate few studies actually tested transgenerational effects – making it challenging to disentangle condition‐transfer from anticipatory parental effects, and providing little insight into the underlying mechanisms.