Extended Heredity: A New Understanding of Inheritance and Evolution

by Russell Bonduriansky, Troy Day

How genes are not the only basis of heredity—and what this means for evolution, human life, and diseaseFor much of the twentieth century it was assumed that genes alone mediate the transmission of biological information across generations and provide the raw material for natural selection. In Extended Heredity, leading evolutionary biologists Russell Bonduriansky and Troy Day challenge this premise. Drawing on the latest research, they demonstrate that what happens during our lifetimes--and even our grandparents' and great-grandparents' lifetimes—can influence the features of our descendants. On the basis of these discoveries, Bonduriansky and Day develop an extended concept of heredity that upends ideas about how traits can and cannot be transmitted across generations. By examining the history of the gene-centered view in modern biology and reassessing fundamental tenets of evolutionary theory, Bonduriansky and Day show that nongenetic inheritance—involving epigenetic, environmental, behavioral, and cultural factors—could play an important role in evolution. The discovery of nongenetic inheritance therefore has major implications for key questions in evolutionary biology, as well as human health.Extended Heredity reappraises long-held ideas and opens the door to a new understanding of inheritance and evolution.

Genres: Science, Biology, Genetics

305 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 10, 2018

Reviews

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well written collection of compelling ideas about nongenetic inheritance with important historical context. I appreciate the rendition of the Modern Synthesis “Creation myth” and the author's statement that “geneticists settled on an apocryphal history of their science where the impossibility of nongenetic inheritance was supposedly demonstrated by numerous empirical investigations, and the reason for its nonexistence became clear once it was realized that genes are the sole bearers of heredity.” P. 49 Bonduriansky and Day provide a pretty interesting collection of quotes from “the old white dudes” of the late 19th early 20th Century: Weismann, Johannsen, Bateson, Morgan, Haldane, Huxley, Dobzhansky, Crick and Mayr (p.43-44) that clearly defy the claims of many nay sayers that the MS can easily accommodate phenomena like inheritance of induced traits and evo-devo. The final chapter on Extended Heredity in Human Life is particularly interesting with its exposé of the potential influence of the MS perspective on our understanding and prevention of fetal alcohol spectrum disroders (FASD).

[Carolina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the historical context and the clarity with which the main idea is exposed and supported. But I was missing some more depth in certain affirmations which are rather speculative. Overall I really liked it and recommend it.

[The Inquisitive Biologist · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book of great clarity that will no doubt raise a few hackles, Extended Heredity explores the concept of non-genetic inheritance and deserves a close reading. See my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2019...