However, the overuse of chemical control agents tends to promote the development of heritable insecticide or drug resistance [ 1], with life-cycle traits of targeted organisms often favouring the ability to adapt genetically, such as high reproductive potential and short generation span.
The ability of this altered epigenome to promote a transgenerational epigenetic alteration in the transcriptome has been shown in the developing testis [13] and is speculated to be the mechanism behind the subsequent development of heritable adult onset disease [3], [6].
Sorghum's drought tolerance is consistent with its evolution in Africa [ 12], which resulted in the development of heritable morphological and anatomical characteristics (i.e., C4 photosynthesis, thick leaf wax, deep root system) that permit sorghum's growth in hot, dry environments.
In vitro modeling of acquired resistance to EGFR inhibitors has raised the possibility that a transient so-called 'drug-tolerant' state may precede the development of mutationally defined, heritable drug resistance (Sharma et al., 2010).
Several mathematical models have been developed to describe the likelihood of development of heritable resistance, e.g. a mutation, and its subsequent spread in a population; see e.g. Abel zur Wiesch et al. (2011), Day and Bonduriansky (2011).
Although environmental risk factors play a role in the progress of schizophrenia, there seems to be a strong heritable component for the development of the disease, as observed in twin studies [ 11] and in high-incidence families [ 12].
Tooth development is a highly heritable and interacts with the development of the entire craniofacial complex [ 30].
The recognition of this heritable non-DNA sequence based mark has spurred the development of the study of epigenetics.
Given that height is 80% heritable, this represents more than half of the heritable component.
Despite these successes there remains a substantial portion of the heritable risk of PE unaccounted for.
