The legacy of our ancestors' lifestyle

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Recent scientific developments are revolutionizing our perception of heredity. These advancements, arising from independent research groups including ours, are reviving the hereditary theory put forth in 1809 by the French evolutionist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck, who postulated that acquired traits could be transmitted to the next generation. With 'Lamarckian' inheritance, as a giraffe stretches its neck to reach the leaves of tall trees, neck length becomes longer with subsequent generations. This astounding theory, proposed more than 200 years ago, implies that our health is determined by the chosen lifestyle of our ancestors, long before our own existence.

Original languageEnglish
JournalBiochemist
Volume38
Issue number2
Pages (from-to)1-4
Number of pages4
ISSN0954-982X
Publication statusPublished - 2016

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