Scientists have found that when mice experienced a stressful environment as newborns, they became more socially anxious and this was subsequently passed down to their children and grandchildren. This is an example of __________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This scenario is an example of how the environment can cause changes in gene expression, leading to heritable changes in behavior. The stressful environment caused epigenetic modifications to the mice's DNA, which in turn affected their behavioral tendencies and those of their offspring. This underscores the importance of environmental factors in shaping gene expression and subsequent behavior.

Scientists Have Found That When Mice Experienced a Stressful Environment