How do mice inherit fears?

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Mice can inherit fears through a mechanism known as epigenetic inheritance. In a study discussed on the Jordan Harbinger Show, mice that were taught to fear the smell of cherries by pairing the scent with an electric shock produced offspring that also feared the cherry scent, despite never experiencing the shock themselves. This inherited fear was observed even in the grandchildren of the original mice. This phenomenon suggests that fear responses can be passed down through generations, likely due to epigenetic changes that occur in the sperm of the shocked mice. These changes alter the expression of genes related to fear without changing the DNA sequence itself 1 2.

Inherited Phobias

Bill explains a fascinating experiment where mice inherit a fear of cherries, even though they were never shocked. This is a multi-generational passing on of a new fear, which shouldn't happen according to classic Darwinian evolution. The leading hypothesis is that this is epigenetically controlled.

The Jordan Harbinger Show

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