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In an animal study, researchers examined epigenetic transmission of learned behavior across three generations.
The investigators conditioned 2-month-old male mice (F0 generation) to develop an exaggerated startle response to a specific odor (acetophenone) paired with a foot shock. Mating with nonexposed females produced the F1 generation, which exhibited the same enhanced startle to the odor acetophenone (and not to another nonconditioned control odor [propanol]), plus enhanced sensitivity to acetophenone, even though F1 mice had never been exposed to it. The same phenomena occurred in offspring of mothers conditioned to acetophenone before conception. Nonexposed F1 offspring of conditioned parents had more olfactory receptors for acetopheno…