I Got My Attitude From My Mom: Behavioral Inheritance

Abstract

The evolutionary principles of Mendelian inheritance and Darwinist natural selection are not exclusive to morphological expression. On a baseline level, evolution can be most observable and understood through physical features. With recent studies, evolution has been applied to psychiatric disorders and natural behaviors. Through the peer review of different academic literature, evolution has expanded beyond the physical sciences and into the frontier of the social sciences. The biological characteristics of inheritance and natural selection still apply to inherited mental illnesses and behaviors because individuals are more likely to inherit mental illnesses or behaviors from their parents. The transgenerational inheritance of adaptations to environmental stimuli is a result of epigenetics. This adds a nuanced layer to the nature versus nurture debate. The novelties presented in the field of behavioral epigenetics broaden the perspective of evolution and create potential diagnostics, preventions, and treatments for psychiatric and behavioral disorders.