For decades, geneticists treated DNA as the dominant carrier of inheritance. Recent epigenetics research suggests that chemical modifications to DNA — modifications that don't change the underlying sequence but affect which genes are expressed — can sometimes be passed across generations in animals. The finding has prompted strong claims that "Lamarckian" inheritance of acquired traits has been vindicated, but most epigeneticists are careful: the mechanism is real, the effects are typically small and short-lived, and the analogy to Lamarck oversimplifies a more limited phenomenon.
Which choice best states the main idea of the text?
- A
Lamarck has been vindicated by epigenetics.
- B
Acquired traits cannot be inherited.
- Ccheck_circle
Epigenetic inheritance is real but more limited than popular Lamarckian framings suggest.
- D
DNA is no longer relevant to inheritance.
Explanation
The passage carefully balances the real finding against overclaims — B. A overstates; C and D contradict.