Original Post from Susana M.: Study Shows How Effects of Starvation Can Be Passed to Future Generations Evidence from human famines and animal studies suggests that starvation can affect the health of descendants of famished individuals. But how such an acquired trait might be transmitted from one generation to the next has not been clear. A new study, involving roundworms, shows that starvation induces specific changes in so-called small RNAs and that these changes are inherited through at least three consecutive generations, apparently without any DNA involvement. The study, conducted by Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) researchers, offers intriguing new evidence that the biology of inheritance is more complicated than previously thought. ●Read more: http://bit.ly/1tv1Bvj ●Image description: The inheritance of small RNAs (red bars) by the progeny of starved worms resulted in a longer life span. ●Journal Reference: Starvation-Induced Transgenerational Inheritance of Small... - mjc