Because of epigenetic influences, newborn rats who were genetically predisposed to be skittish, nervous, and high-strung developed into calm, exploratory, and stress-resistant adult rats when raised by genetically unrelated, attentive mothers.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Epigenetic influences can override genetic predispositions, as seen in the example of the newborn rats. The attentive and nurturing behavior of the unrelated mothers helped the rats develop into a different behavioral phenotype than what was expected based on their genetics.

Because of Epigenetic Influences, Newborn Rats Who Were Genetically Predisposed