Guppies 1-0 the Sun? Parents passing on sun protection to their child...

Some parents go above and beyond to ensure that their child has the best chance of being successful. But can too much of a good thing be bad? It’s tim for fact #2 on Some Might Science!

A recent study on a species of guppies (a tropical fish) showed that parents that live in area with a lot of sunshine (and are more frequently exposed to UV-B) pass on genes that make their offsprings more resilient.

What does that mean? Well, through experiencing a living condition that presents certain challenges, parents genes are modified through a process called “epigenetic modification” and are passed on to their children.

The researcher found out that this works well for offspring that live in similar sunny conditions are their parents. That’s awesome! However, they also found that offsprings that live in less sunny places get sick easier.

Did guppies come up with a way to fight with UV-B forever? The answer for now, is no.

featured photo by Mark Hanford (flickr)

HDTH,

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