Theory predicts that costly sexual traits should be reduced when individuals are in poor
condition (ie traits should exhibit condition‐dependent expression). It is therefore widely …

Despite serving the primary objective of ensuring that at least one sperm cell reaches and
fertilises an ovum, the male ejaculate (ie spermatozoa and seminal fluid) is a …

In recent years, the belief that the genetic code is the sole basis for biological inheritance
has been challenged by the discovery of trans-generational epigenetic inheritance …

Rapid climate change is placing many marine species at risk of local extinction. Recent
studies show that epigenetic mechanisms (eg DNA methylation, histone modifications) can …

Previous chapters have outlined the classic concept of plasticity, its mechanistic basis, and
its adaptive importance. Plasticity is the ability of an individual organism or genotype to …

Traditionally, only vertebrates were thought capable of acquired immune responses, such as
the ability to transfer immunological experience vertically to their offspring (known as trans …

Background Although in all sexually reproducing organisms an individual has a mother and
a father, non-genetic inheritance has been predominantly studied in mothers. Paternal …

The reproductive success of aquatic animals depends on a complex web of relationships
between the environment, the attributes of the reproductive individuals and human-induced …

Mounting evidence suggests that nongenetic paternal effects on offspring may be
widespread among animal taxa, but the mechanisms underlying this form of nongenetic …

Strategic ejaculate adjustments occur when males modify their investment in sperm and
nonsperm components of the ejaculate according to the context. This strategy is expected to …