Comment 2TCF Re: Hard to answer when two stories are mixed.

Story

Offspring can resemble a mother’s previous mate

Preview

Hard to answer when two stories are mixed. (Score: 1)

by tanuki64@pipedot.org on 2014-10-07 02:54 (#2T5M)

And the story right above this one is that telegony, roundly denounced by prevailing scientific wisdom for over a century, may actually be true.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. I am very skeptical with this one. Not my field of expertise, so what I do here is nothing more as speculation. However, I suppose some scientific papers have been misinterpreted and/or to much dumbed down by journalists. Would not be the first time.
Various non-genetic inheritance mechanisms make it possible for environmental factors to influence characteristics of a child.
Sure, changes through the environment may make children stronger, weaker, taller, smaller, may influence the immune system. No doubt about that. Question is what is meant with 'resemble'? In a human context it would mean something like hair colour, eye colour, facial features...the usual stuff when people say 'this kid resembles his mother/father/grand parents, etc. But those traits are encoded in DNA. I don't see a way how these traits can be passed without DNA just by some chemicals in the males sperm. Not saying this is impossible. And maybe there is DNA involved in some unknown way. However... as I initially said: Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

Re: Hard to answer when two stories are mixed. (Score: 0)

by Anonymous Coward on 2014-10-15 09:56 (#2TCF)

I totally agree here, this "Chemicals in the male sperm" weak interaction kind of smacks of homeopathy.. It is just not how the thing we call "Chemistry" works.

Junk Status

Marked as [Not Junk] by bryan@pipedot.org on 2015-01-02 05:35